


Nuzlocke: Blood and Bond

by Mangaluva



Series: The Keyleeverse [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Gen, Nuzlocke Challenge, gay couples among both humans and Pokemon, human deaths too, lots of family awkwardness, really long fic, severely abused and traumatized child, so many Pokemon deaths, trans character at one point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-13
Updated: 2014-05-14
Packaged: 2018-01-24 16:02:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 73
Words: 226,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1611065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mangaluva/pseuds/Mangaluva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to "After Armageddon". Saylee heads west to the better-off nation of Johto in search of Team Rocket and her brother Red. Johto is a land of mysticism and mysteries, and the things that Saylee will discover will turn her world upside down... again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the sequel to my FireRed Nuzlocke fic, Armageddon. It’s better to read that before starting on this, or else miss a lot of characters and backstory.
> 
> First off, for anyone who doesn’t know, the Nuzlocke challenge is aimed at hardcore Pokémon gamers who want a bit more challenge out of their game. There are three basic rules, with various alterations possible.
> 
> 1\. Catch only the first Pokémon you meet on each route or territory. If you kill the first Pokémon, too bad. Move on and catch nothing in that area ever again. (I’m making two alterations to this rule: one minor and one major. The minor one is the first new Pokémon on each team; I’m not interested in having, say, three Pidgey on a team. The major one is that if I see a shiny, all catching rules go out the window, but then if the shiny is captured in this irregular manner it is to be put in a special PC box and nothing else. If I do catch one, I probably won’t bring it up in the fic; I’ll just have the joy of owning it XD)  
> 2\. Nickname all Pokémon. (I do this alliteratively.) This rule famously serves no real gameplay purpose, other than making rule 3 hurt more…  
> 3\. If a Pokémon faints in battle, it is dead. Box or release it, but never use it again. (I box them. And it is painful.)  
> I don’t use the no-items rule. Also, when asked by a friend what happens if you run out of usable Pokémon entirely (IE your team is wiped out and you’ve no usable boxed Pokémon), I decided that it just means going back to the last save point, rather than starting the whole game over.
> 
> So that’s the challenge. It’s certainly turned out to be more emotional than a usual runthrough of the game, making you much more attached to your Pokémon- which, again, just makes it hurt more when they die. *cries* That’s probably what brings the Pokémon to life so much in your head. As a direct continuation of Armageddon, this is still Saylee’s story, still searching for Red and seeking to take out Team Rocket. But there are plenty of new mysteries awaiting Saylee to the west…

_Dear Saylee,_

_Grandpa made me write this week’s letter to you, so here goes. Not a ton happening here. Koga’s been through, he’s moved into the Indigo Plateau with a couple disciples of his. Let’s hope he can keep the psychos up there under control. Flo and Elric have a litter of four eggs, or so SG says. They won’t let anyone but her see them. Kinda wish I could see them, I’ve never seen a Pokémon egg. Speaking of babies, Toby’s coming along. Never mind learning to talk, he won’t shut up. He keeps wanting to learn to fight, too. He runs off to fight wild Pokémon all the time. I don’t think Carrie and Hernan know what to do with him, really. They train with him every day and he still runs off._

_But your mum’s already told you about that already. Oh, a ton of the trees in Viridian Forest got levelled by a wildfire. Nobody really knows what caused it. It’s sure made getting to Pewter a hell of a lot safer and easier, anyway._

_That’s it, I guess. Sam says hi. So do your Pokémon. Oh, and Daisy. Can’t forget about her, even if I wish I could. People miss you and stuff, so get your ass in gear and find Red and Team Rocket already. What’s taking you so long, anyway?_

_~Blue_

Saylee folded up the letter and started to tuck it at the back of a drawer with the others, before changing her mind and putting it in her bag with Red’s letter. She picked up the stiff blue jacket that was draped over her chair and tugged it over her shoulders, wriggling her arms to stop the sleeves of her red shirt from getting twisted. The denim shorts were a little stiff too, but they’d grow softer with time while still being durable. She’d had denim trousers before, just never this _new_. She was pretty sure she wouldn’t be able to bend her knees if they were any longer.

The black wool tights were thick and cosy and apparently absorbed electricity, which was a feature she wished her clothing had had back when she was training Paul.

 _Stop that, Saylee_ , she told herself, shaking her head. _Don’t think about it. You’re not Saylee, who’s trained and lost many friends. You’re Lyra, escaping the barbaric east to your mother’s homeland._

Her “mother” was actually only about ten years older than Saylee, but Vera enjoyed getting to lie about her age and then be told she looked young. She was actually from Goldenrod, not New Birch, so she could easily act as a native without being caught out. Saylee didn’t have to pretend to be fascinated by how much better-off Johto was.

Seventeen years ago, Kanto had erupted into terrible war. Humanity’s mastery of technology had led them to try to subjugate Pokémon entirely, creating pokéballs that robbed them of their wills. The Pokémon fought back, and some humans fought for their rights. It was terrible chaos of everybody fighting everybody, and in the end, the side of subjugation tried to make their own Pokémon, far more powerful than any other. It went terribly, horribly right.

That Pokémon had been a powerful psychic. Only two of the scientists who had created it were still alive, and one was insane beyond all reason. Before leaving Kanto, she’d asked Mr Fuji about the creature he had helped to create.

“ _We made him— Mew Two, we called him— to be the most powerful psychic ever. Too powerful. He could hear_ everything. _He heard the hate and fear of an entire nation… and he could understand everything. Maybe that was something else he heard; that people and Pokémon couldn’t understand each other. That has to be the reason that people and Pokémon can communicate now. Only Mew Two was powerful enough…_ ”

Seventeen years ago, thousands of people had woken up not knowing who they were, where they were, or who the creatures around them were. They didn’t know that they had been enemies only hours before, and many still didn’t.

Kanto had been shattered. People and Pokémon still fought, but now it was a struggle for survival and resources in a damaged, poisoned land. Johto was different. It was full of traditional communities, some of which had a powerful religious belief against pokéballs. It made them more backwards than Kanto at its technological height, but Johto had never gotten embroiled in the war. Everyone had woken up in the morning in their own beds, in peaceful communities, surrounded by people and Pokémon that they could talk to and figure things out with. Debts and grudges vanished overnight.

A lot of people thought they’d been reborn, given a clean slate. Some of the fanatics argued that the world had been brought into existence then and that diaries and photographs and records from before were just fabrications created by a higher power to deceive and comfort them. Most people thought this was nuts. Others abandoned whatever life they had picked up and started from scratch, defying the “role” they had been given.

Among them was Vera, who decided to travel east. When she saw how damaged Kanto was, she’d decided to throw herself into helping rebuild. Team Rocket had been just that, once, a group of people giving everything into rebuilding Kanto.

“In the beginning, Giovanni cautioned us that we might have to take extreme measures for the good of Kanto,” Vera explained once. “But slowly, what was meant by ‘the good of Kanto’ began to change. A lot of people left. Only fanatics like me stayed. But the torturing of Pokémon on Five Island… it was too much, and your certainty of our wrongness opened my eyes and helped me accept that.”

Team Rocket wasn’t done, though. For three months, Vera had been teaching Saylee all she knew about the inner workings of Team Rocket. One month ago, under assumed identities, the pair of them decamped to New Bark Town, Johto.

Saylee packed her dreamcatcher into her bag. It was a random assortment of memories; two different coins, one from Daisy and one from Sabrina, dangling on strings tied to a battered spoon. A burnt-tipped feather was twisted into one of the strings. Blessed grave dirt was rubbed into all of the items. It protected her from nightmares and psychic influences, and whenever she woke up in the middle of the night, scared and alone, it soothed her.

She missed her Pokémon, but she knew that they were all right. Kaito and Sheska could continue their play-fights without having seen truly brutal battle. Hernan and Carrie were a happy family with little Tobias and Saylee would never disturb that. And Chaz…

She missed Chaz dearly, her first and dearest companion, almost as keenly as she missed her best friend Blue. Chaz alone she might have brought with her, but Charizard these days were painfully rare. She’d never seen another one. If she wanted to take out Team Rocket without them seeing her coming, she couldn’t bring Chaz.

She picked up the hat Vera had given her and pulled it low over her eyes. It was huge and a little silly-looking but it would help disguise her face, which was the important part. She pulled it off again and combed her fingers through her hair. It was getting longer and would be a terrible mess if she didn’t tie it down.

She ended up tying it into two low ponytails that drooped over her shoulders. It was a childish style that she’d never, ever worn before. Perfect.

“Here,” Vera said, handing something to her as she stepped downstairs into the luxurious living room. At least, it was luxurious compared to the ramshackle hut that her real mother had finally been able to vacate a couple of months before for a small but nice house. Saylee already had a list of Johto products to send back to her. They didn’t have electricity coming out of the wall in Pallet, not yet, but Professor Oak had several Pikachu that ran all of his electrical equipment.

Saylee unfolded the device. A screen blinked to life. “It’s a pokégear,” Vera said. “They’re all the go here. It’s a phone, but you can add digital maps and things to it as well.”

“Sweet,” Saylee said, opening the phonebook. Only Vera and Professor Elm’s numbers were preprogrammed into it. “I’ll keep in touch.”

“You’d better,” Vera said, giving her a one-armed hug. “Stop and say hi to Professor Elm before you go, sweetie!” she cooed.

“Bye, mummy!” Saylee said, making a face at Vera as she opened the door.

A small blue Pokémon bounced off of her ankles. Saylee looked down to see Marina run past her.

“Hi, Lyra!” the little Marill called. “We’re playing tag!”

“You’re it!” a little boy hollered, grabbing Saylee’s arm. Ethan grinned up at Saylee. “C’mon and play with us, Lyra!”

“Sorry, kid,” Saylee said, giving the ten-year-old a playful push. “I’ve got to make a trip today. You and Marina have fun!”

“Aww…” Ethan slouched off after his Marill. Saylee had gotten used to answering to “Lyra” largely due to Ethan and Marina calling it every ten minutes. Ethan was five years older than the other two children in the tiny village and decided very quickly that Saylee was the only suitable playmate for a “big boy” like him. Vera thought the kid had a precocious crush. Saylee humoured him because he reminded her of Red at that age, always trying to be mature and not always succeeding.

Red. That, of course, was the other reason she had travelled west. The only keyword she had, the only clue to his location, was “silver”. But what the hell did that mean?

She had to figure it out soon. Sabrina had said he was dying. For all she knew, he was already…

Saylee was about to knock on the door to Elm’s lab when she spotted something odd in the bushes— a flash of bright red.

“Ethan?” she asked, stepping around a Pecha bush, “is that you? Are you sneaking up on me?”

There was a boy in the bushes, but not the one in the red hoodie that Saylee was expecting. The boy was about the same age as Ethan but dressed in dark, scruffy, ill-fitting clothes. He had the tattered, half-starved look of a Kanto child, and such long red hair that Saylee wondered if it wasn’t maybe a little girl.

“Hello?” she said, reaching out to the child. “What’s your name? Mine’s Lyra.”

The kid looked up and her and his face was suddenly furious. He slapped her hand aside and pushed her back.

“LIAR!” he yelled, running away. Saylee stared after him in shock, confusion and not a little fear. _Was_ he from Kanto? Did he know…?

Her thoughts were distracted by a loud _crash_ from inside the lab.

{}

Inside of the lab tables were overturned, books had fallen from bookshelves, and Elm’s assistant was trying not to laugh as the professor gave panicked chase to three little Pokémon.

“Lyra!” he called plaintively. “HELP!”

None of the three Pokémon were higher than Saylee’s knee but they were certainly causing a fuss. The blue bipedal one was laughing and spitting jets of water at the little black-and-cream one, which kept emitting panicked cries. Every time it did, hot cinders shot out of its mouth, panicking the green one with a leaf on its head.

“ _Water, fire and grass, oh my…_ ” Saylee thought, sighing as she watched the four run around. When the little blue one stopped laughing to charge up a water gun, Saylee reached down and grabbed its long snout, holding its jaws firmly shut. It flailed against her hold for a while, scraping at her with its little claws, but it was too young to do any real damage and eventually stood still in sullen defeat.

“Ta very much,” the little black-and-white one gasped. “I’m right sorry, Chet…”

“Don’t worry about it, Chip,” the green one said magnanimously, patting Chip on the head with his large leaf. “Tyra! That was mean!”

“Mmm mmf mm-mmf,” the water-type, Tyra, mumbled sullenly.

“I’ll let you go if you promise to behave,” Saylee said sternly. “If you don’t, I’ll tie your jaws together. Okay?”

“ _Fine,_ ” Tyra complained when Saylee let her go. “It was _funny_ ,” she said to Chet.

“It was mean,” Chip mumbled. Saylee walked over and picked up him carefully, avoiding touching the four spots on his back that glowed like coals and radiated heat.

“You’ll be safe up here,” she promised. “My name’s Lyra— it’s a lot like yours!” she added, offering Tyra a friendly smile.

“I want a new name,” the little water-type muttered, yelping when Chet _thwacked_ her with his leaf.

“Don’t be rude,” he admonished her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lyra! Forgive Tyra’s rudeness.”

“Yes, well…” Professor Elm sighed in relief. “These little ones are getting too big for the lab. I thought you might want to adopt one of them, Lyra. I know you’ve never trained a Pokémon before…”

 _If only you knew…_ Saylee thought wryly. _I couldn’t take a Pokémon this young with me against Team Rocket, but we still have no leads, and I do miss having my Pokémon around…_ “…I’d love to,” she said. Chip automatically snuggled into her arms. “I guess you like me, huh, Chip?”

“I do, right enough,” Chip admitted shyly. “Can I be comin’ to live with you, Lyra?”

“Of course you can,” Saylee said with a smile. He and Professor Elm both looked so happy that she couldn’t bring herself to turn them down. Besides, she felt happier already with Chip’s warmth in her arms, so similar to Chaz when he was little. “I hope you don’t mind?” she added to Chet and Tyra.

“Not at all,” Chet said, smiling at them. “The Professor tells us that there are two other children in town with no Pokémon friends of their own. I look forward to meeting them.”

“Why would I wanna live with _you_ , anyway?” Tyra said in a huff.

“So, that’s settled!” Professor Elm said, beginning to pick up some of his books. “My son went to fetch little Kris. They’ll be here soon…”

“Professor, I didn’t just visit because I heard the ruckus,” Saylee said. “I was hoping for directions to Sir… well, Mr. Pokémon’s house. I’ve spoken to him on the phone a couple of times and he’s very interesting. I’d like to meet him.”

“Interesting is a good word for it,” the Professor chuckled. “Hmm. Well, from Cherrygrove…”

“I be knowin’ the way!” Chip spoke up, his back spots glowing red with embarrassment when they looked at him. “I mean, I’ve been there before,” he mumbled.

“That’s brilliant!” Saylee said warmly, making Chip perk up. “And you can protect me from any big scary wild Pokémon, okay?”

“I think you could be beatin’ ‘em all up yourself,” Chip mumbled.

{}

“There we go,” Professor Elm said a while later as he tidied away the last bit of fallen equipment. “Where _has_ my son got to? He and Kris ought to be here by now…”

“They’re probably playing somewhere,” his assistant laughed. “Maybe they’re playing with Ethan… I’ll watch these two if you want to go look for them.”

“And I’ll watch Tyra,” Chet offered. Professor Elm laughed and left.

“Suck up,” Tyra muttered. “Stick your roots up the back of his labcoat, why don’t you…”

“You could stand to be a little more polite,” Chet snapped, wandering away to curl up and photosynthesize in the patch of light under the window. Tyra went the other way in a huff.

“Pssst!”

She looked up. There was a boy peering through a broken window near the back of the lab. Was it broken in all the mess they made?

“That girl’s a liar,” the boy whispered. “I’m gonna prove it. Do you want to come with? You look strong, and I need strong Pokémon.”

Tyra glanced back across the lab. The assistant was crouching over Chet to check on him, and Chet himself seemed to be asleep.

“I’m the strongest there is,” she promised. “Let me grab my pokéball and let’s go.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 1 
> 
> Deaths: 0

It was a gorgeous autumn day. Saylee was glad of her thick tights and jacket and the warmth of Chip in her arms because the crisp air was chilly. She wondered about getting a scarf somewhere.

“We’re pretty rare, Mam says,” Chip explained. “So scientists be comin’ to where we live sometimes. They don’t be doin’ nothin’ but watchin’, which be kinda creepy but it’s okay really ‘cause they don’t be doin’ nothin’. But another kind of human called a poacher be comin’ sometimes, too. They caught Mam.” Chip sniffed. “I was all on me own, so Professor Elm took me home. Chet’s a good mate, even if Tyra’s bein’ mean.”

“You know, I used to have a friend who was mean to me,” Saylee teased. “Turned out he was being mean because he cared about me!” _And I was being a genuine moron…_

Chip’s spots flared red with embarrassment. “Naw, Tyra’s just bein’ mean ‘cause her be Tyra,” he muttered.

“If you say so,” Saylee giggled, stepping into the market with thoughts of a new scarf and pokéballs in mind. Unfortunately, neither was in stock.

“Sorry about that, Lyra,” the clerk, Darren, apologized. “Here, tell you what, we’ve got a promotion on these.” He held out a small, square piece of metal. “You got a gear?”

“Yep,” Saylee said, showing it off.

“Well, la-di-da!” Darren whistled. “Here’s the girl that last month thought food colouring was exotic, now with a top-of-the-line gear. Look, slot this card in the side there and you’ve got a map.”

“Nice,” Saylee said happily, zooming in on the digital map of Cherrygrove. “Thanks, Darren!”

“Will that be all, your highness?” Darren said pompously, bowing.

“Fetch me some antidotes, peasant,” Saylee responded, looking around for Chip. “Weedle stings can be a bitch.”

She found Chip outside, sniffing at a dying flower.

“These make Chet sad,” he commented. “Him be hatin’ winter.”

“Yeah, but I bet he loves spring,” Saylee said, scooping him up. “And to get to spring, you’ve gotta go through winter. C’mon and show me how to get to Mr. Pokémon’s, okay?”

It felt a little strange, watching a couple of kids with a Rattata and a Pidgey having a friendly, sporting battle. This time the previous year, she had been stuck on an island far from home, recovering from many injuries, not knowing that Miranda was dead or that Pedro was searching the waves alone for her…

  1. She focused on the good memories. Hernan and Carrie had found each other out there, and it was probably having each other that had helped them get through the terrible things that were to follow.



Here she was again, in a peaceful land far from home, where children and Pokémon battled for play, not for survival. When Chip sparred with a few wild Weedle and Rattata, Saylee felt no fear for his life or safety. She let him in on the trick of forming large, hot embers, and he looked so proud of himself the first time he managed to spit one hot enough to melt part of a Kakuna’s shell. The insect hissed at them, baring its claws, as it span out some thread to cover up the non-lethal hole.

“How’d you be knowin’ about embers?” Chip asked in awe. “You’re a human!”

Saylee smiled at the memory of an excited little Charmander babbling away about his new trick. “It’s a secret,” she said with a wink, putting her finger to her lips.

All in all, she was feeling quite lighthearted by the time she reached Mr. Pokémon’s.

“I’ll put you away for awhile, okay?” Saylee said, taking out Chip’s pokéball. “This is all gonna be human stuff. It’ll bore you.”

“ _Secret_ human stuff?” Chip asked. “I won’t be tellin’! ‘ _Specially_ not Tyra!”

“I know,” Saylee giggled, returning him. She pocketed his pokéball and knocked on the door.

“Ah!” said the elderly gentleman who opened the door. He had a large white moustache and a shiny black bowler hat. “Saylee! It has been too long. How are you?”

“Good to see you, Sir Geoffrey,” Saylee laughed, shaking his hand.

“My dear, do feel free to call me Mr. Pokémon”, he said, bowing her inside. “A joke though it may be, it is nevertheless a name that I have chosen to take pride in.”

“Sure thing, Mr. Pokémon.” Saylee stepped in and stared around in awe at the maps and notes all over the room. “Oh, wow…”

“I use ‘em to track Pokémon migratory patterns,” Mr. Pokémon said proudly. “There’s nobody in this country knows more about Pokémon than me! Here, I finished updating this for you.” He handed Saylee’s Pokédex back to her. She clipped the portpad back onto it and turned it on, scrolling through pages of new information.

“Thank you, Mr. Pokémon,” she said, jumping as something soft and furry wound around her ankles. “Hello, Frederick! How are you?”

“Very well,” Frederick said. “I have returned from a long journey. Well, it would have been long, were my route not interrupted by a Sudowoodo migration…”

“Ah, so you were unable to investigate this business at the Lake of Rage?” Mr. Pokémon said mournfully.

“Lake of Rage?” Saylee asked, looking around at the maps. Mr. Pokémon pointed out a map of a huge body of water with lines drawn around it.

“They say that, a long time ago, some Gyarados went on a rampage,” he explained, “and the crater left by their rage filled up with rainwater and became a lake. Well, for all that it’s a peaceful enough spot, but for some reason the Pokémon that normally migrate to it are dispersing to other places. Very odd. I wonder if there might be some funny business there…”

“Hmmm…” Saylee looked around at the maps. “There isn’t any other ‘funny business’ that you’ve noticed, is there?”

“Well, there’s some disrupted nesting near Olivine, but that’s because of the building of the Trainer Tower, nothing suspect there,” Mr. Pokémon commented.

“Might account for the Sudowoodo,” Frederick agreed. “Oh, the weather’s been odd as well, and some of the humans.”

“Humans?” Saylee asked. “What do you mean, humans?”

“Well, I heard from a very sweet Furret that her human wasn’t happy with not being able to get to Goldenrod,” Frederick said, grooming his tail idly. “She was worried about her little sister. Apparently some thugs in black have been menacing the underground shopping centre there…”

“Thugs in black?” Saylee said sharply. Mr. Pokémon also looked interested.

“Weren’t there thugs in black menacing those lovely islands?” he asked. “I’d stay away from them if I were you, my dear.”

“I’ll keep that advice in mind,” Saylee said thoughtfully. “Here, I got a pokégear. Can I have your phone number? I’d like to know if you hear about anything else unusual. Anything else at all, human or Pokémon…”

“He only pays attention to other humans when it’s to do with Pokémon, I warn you now,” Frederick said. Saylee smiled.

“That’ll be fine,” she promised him.

“Here you go, my dear,” Mr. Pokémon said. “I’ve put my phone number into- my word!” The pokégear jumped and buzzed in his hand. Saylee also jumped in surprise.

“ _Lyra!_ ” Professor Elm shouted as soon as she found the connect button. “ _It’s terrible! Truly terrible! Vera gave me your number, so please, you and Chip must hurry back right away_!” With a _click_ , he hung up.

“Something’s happened,” Saylee said, putting it away. “I’d better go. Thank you so much, Mr. Pokémon! Thank you, Frederick!”

“Safe trip home!” Mr. Pokémon called after her.

{}

“Hey, _Saylee_!”

Saylee stopped short in front of the Cherrygrove clinic. The red-haired boy from before was standing on the path to New Bark, Tyra at his side. Both of them were glaring angrily at her.

“Tyra, what’s going on?” Saylee asked suspiciously. “It’s me, Lyra.”

“Lyra for _liar_ ,” the boy yelled, pointing at Saylee. “What’d you do? Where did he go?”

“What? Who?” Saylee said, thoroughly confused. Her confusion just pissed off the boy more.

“Battle me!” The boy demanded, dark red eyes flashing. “When I win, you’ll _have_ to tell me! Tyra, get her!”

“Sure,” Tyra said, grinning wickedly. Saylee dodged as Tyra jumped her, jaws wide and small claws waving.

“Hey, that’s not how you do it!” Saylee admonished the kid, releasing the only Pokémon she had to hand. “Chip! Tackle Tyra!”

“ _Whit_?” Chip said, staring at Tyra in surprise and trepidation as he materialized. “But her be a _water_ type…”

“We’ve been training all day,” Saylee said encouragingly. “Show her how much stronger you are! Tackle!”

“Okay…” Chip said timidly, flinging himself into a full-bodied tackle. He looked as surprised as anyone by how far back Tyra was thrown. Tyra hit the kid on the ankles, nearly knocking him over too. He jumped away, looking furious.

“No!” The boy yelled, stamping his foot. “Just you wait, liar! I’ll get more Pokémon and BEAT you!” He pushed past Saylee and ran off. Tyra picked herself up and started after him.

“Tyra, wait!” Saylee called. “What’s going on?”

“It’s a long story,” Tyra said, looking oddly serious. “But I don’t think that kid should be left on his own. I’ll get you back for that, Chip!” She turned and ran after the boy. “Silver, wait!”

“Silver?!” Saylee said in shock, but Silver and Tyra were already gone.

“ _Red… Silver…_ ”

“Lyra? What’s goin’ on?” Chip asked timidly. “What’s bein’ wrong with Tyra?”

“I think,” Saylee said, “she found someone she wants to be nice to.”

Chip looked aghast. “ _Whit_?! But her’s never been nice to _anyone…_ ”

Saylee nodded, thinking about the boy Silver, wondering who or what he was looking for, and wondering if he could be the link that would lead her to Red.

{}

“Rule one is: the thief always returning to the scene of the crime!” a man yelled, grabbing Saylee by the shoulders the moment she stepped into the lab. On automatic, Saylee kneed him hard in the crotch. “ _Oooft!_ ”

“That’s assaulting an officer!” A Growlithe yelled, snapping at Saylee’s feet. “You’re _nicked_!”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Saylee gasped, realizing that the man’s outfit as a police uniform. “I’m so sorry, you just scared the hell out of me…”

“She didn’t do it, Mr Police Man!” Ethan yelled. “She didn’t do anything!”

“She did kick him,” Marina pointed out. Ethan frowned at her.

“Yeah, but Lyra didn’t _steal_ any Pokémon!” he insisted, shoving at the Growlithe. “She’s innocent!”

“If innocent she is, then which is _this_?!” the policeman demanded, grabbing Chip. The little fire-type squealed in fright and his back flared up. The policeman dropped him with a yell of pain.

“ _That_ is clearly a Cyndaquil, a _fire-type_ ,” Chet said dryly. “Our kidnapped friend Tyra is a Totodile, a _water-type_. And female.”

“Sir, I can confirm that that is indeed a fire-type,” the Growlithe said, nodding at Chip.

“Thank you, Grace,” the officer said, blowing on his burned fingertips.

“We were seein’ Tyra, though,” Chip put in. “Her was bein’ with a mean ginger boy!”

“Yeah, that’s what I said!” Ethan agreed. “I saw a kid with red hair—wait, that was a _boy_?” He looked in confusion at Marina, who bobbed her tail and shrugged.

“Tyra didn’t exactly seem kidnapped, though,” Saylee added. “She went after him willingly. His name’s Silver…”

“I see! I am on case!” the policeman said, running off.

“Yes, sir! We’re on the case!” Grace yapped, running after the officer. “Wait for me, Officer Looker!”

“What the hell was that?” Saylee said, watching them go.

“Professor Elm, do you have to be crazy to be a police officer?” Ethan asked.

“I, uh, don’t think it’s recommended…” the Professor said, looking out of the door at the departing officers.

“Oi, Lyra?” Chip said, climbing up into her arms. “Can I be askin’ you a secret question?”

“Sure, Chip,” Saylee said. He leaned up to talk in her ear.

“Is your real name bein’ Saylee?” he whispered. “Are you bein’ a _spy_?”

Saylee glanced around. Professor Elm was trying to calm down an overexcited Ethan and Marina, while his assistant comforted Chet. “…yes, and kinda,” She whispered back. “I’m looking for some very bad humans, Chip. Poachers and thieves and killers, and nobody you need to get involved with. I’m going to let Professor Elm know that I can’t look after you. You can go and live with that little girl that was going to adopt Tyra…”

“Whit?!” Chip gasped. “No! Don’t you be likin’ me?” He sounded heartbroken.

“Oh, Chip, I _do_!” Saylee said, giving him a hug, ignoring the heat spots on his back. They charred two black spots into each arm of her denim jacket, forcing her to shift her grip. “I like you a lot, Chip. That’s why I don’t want to take you with me. These are bad, bad people…”

“All the more reason t’be havin’ me with you! To be protectin’ you!” Chip declared. “I want t’be fightin’ anyone who be poachin’ like the humans who took me Mam! I’m not scared, Ly… Say…”

“Lyra,” Saylee said, putting a finger to her lips and winking again to remind him that it was a secret. Chip nodded.

“Professor Elm,” Saylee said, “I know you wanted to give Pokémon to your son and Kris, but can I keep Chip anyway? I’m thinking of taking a trip, and some company would be nice…”

“You needn’t worry about the children,” Professor Elm said. “I often have Pokémon here, so I’m sure my son can be… er… convinced that he ought to let Chet go live with Kris.” He smiled ruefully.

“I’m sure I can play with both of them plenty,” Chet said, looking quite excited. “Just… promise to bring Tyra back safe? I know you don’t like her much, but she is a friend of mine.”

“Her was bein’ mean to me,” Chip complained quietly.

“She just wanted you to come out of your shell and interact with us,” Chet said gently. “You were closed off like a Cloyster when the Professor brought you here. Tyra doesn’t mind people being angry, but she hates seeing them miserable.”

“We’ll do our best,” Saylee promised him. Chet was reminding her uncomfortably of Chaz, worrying about Ben.

_I’ll do all I can,_ she thought to herself, _to get all the lost children home safe…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 1 
> 
> Deaths: 0

 “So I was thinking,” Saylee said as they set out afresh the next morning, “a good way to help you get stronger is to take you to the Bellsprout training tower.”

“What’s that?” Chip asked.

“I’ve heard it’s in Violet City, not too far from here,” Saylee said, zooming in on the pokégear map of Violet. “It’s full of monks who’ve dedicated their lives to enlightenment through constant training, they say. And the monks are almost all humans and Bellsprout.”

“Warrior monks? That’s soundin’ proper scary,” Chip said, before shaking his head and flaring up his back. “I’m not bein’ scared, though! I said I’d be getting’ stronger, and I will!”

Saylee smiled. “This one’ll be easy for you,” she promised. “Bellsprout’s a grass-type. They’ll burn up if you look at them too hard!”

“Lyra! Hey, LYRA!”

Saylee turned to see Ethan and Marina running towards her. “You’re not really going, are you?” the boy whined.

“Don’t go!” Marina added. Saylee smiled and crouched down to Ethan’s height.

“I’m just going on a little trip to see the sights of Johto,” she promised. “I won’t be gone _that_ long!”

“Well, if you _are_ going,” Ethan decided, “you need to bring back some cool Pokémon! If you want Chip to get stronger, he needs to be part of a team! C’mon, I’ll show you how!”

Saylee bit her tongue to avoid saying that she knew perfectly well how to catch a Pokémon and had done so roughly fifty times. There was no need to blow her cover as a newbie trainer, and anyway the kid looked so adorably excited about getting to teach her something.

He didn’t quite manage to catch the Rattata he’d targeted, but Saylee thanked him for the valuable tips anyway.

“Here! A present!” Ethan said, cramming five empty pokéballs into her hands. “Now you can catch a Pokémon too, so Chip can have a friend to play with!”

“Hmmm…” Saylee looked around. Something brown bobbed out of the grass to peer at them and vanished again. “Chip, try ember! There!”

“Okay!” Chip said, spitting hot embers at the grass. The brown Pokémon shot out, yelling and waving its scorching tail. Saylee recognized it easily because they were always around the path between New Bark and Cherrygrove. Sentret were as ubiquitous in Johto as Rattata were in Kanto

“Okay, then!” He shouted. “Bring it on! You burned my lunch, so now I’m hungry and mean! RAH!” He growled at Chip.

“Tackle him, Chip,” Saylee giggled. Just as the Sentret reared up on his tail, Chip knocked him back with a well-placed tackle to the middle of his chest. “What do you think, Ethan? Do I use the pokéball now?”

“Yeah!” Ethan hollered, jumping up and down excitedly. “Go, Lyra!”

“Then here I go!” Saylee flung one of the pokéballs at the downed Sentret. He disappeared easily.

“Congratulations!” Marina said brightly. “You caught one! Great for a first time, huh?”

“All thanks to your expert teachings,” Saylee said to Ethan, who beamed proudly. “I’d better get along to Cherrygrove to heal him up. See you, Ethan. Bye, Marina!”

“Have a safe trip!” Ethan called, waving them off. Saylee and Chip waved back and set off.

“I wonder what ‘is name’s bein’?” Chip said, peering at the pokéball. “He’s a bit of a weird one.”

“I’m not keeping him, Chip,” Saylee said. “I told you that I don’t want innocent young Pokémon like you mixed up in this. I’ll heal him, apologize for the trouble and let him go.” Chip’s face fell. “It’s for the best, Chip.”

“Alright…” Chip said, but he was downcast all the way to the Pokémon Centre.

{}

“Are you kiddin’ me?” Steve said, stealing a bite of food off of Chip’s plate. “Ow! Hot! Anyway, for food like this, I’m yours for life! Hey, you gonna eat that?”

“Help yourself,” Saylee said, giving him the rest of her sandwich and watching in some awe. She was fairly sure that the little Sentret had eaten twice his own weight. “Where are you PUTTING all that?”

“Where else?” Steve said, slapping his huge tail on the table. “I swear, you let me go and I’ll stalk you. I’m a real creeper when I want to be. BOO!” Chip gave a startled squeak and nearly fell off of the table. Steve laughed.

“You’re not giving me a choice, are you, Steve?” Saylee said ruefully. “I guess I need to formally welcome you to the team. I’m Lyra, and this is Chip.”

“Fab!” Steve said, flapping his tail. “I always wanted to train, with teammates. We need to build an awesome team, by the way. Like, super-awesome. And bigger, too,” he added, looking thoughtfully at Chip. “I’ve seen teams. You need a bunch for teams.”

“We’ll see what we can do,” Saylee promised with a resigned sigh. Still, part of her couldn’t deny being excited by the prospect of training new Pokémon. They were so _cheerful_ , so excited about forming teams and travelling. They could fight for fun because they’d never had to fight for survival like Rachel or Pedro.

Come to that, both of them had originally joined her because she’d fed them.

 _But this isn’t going to be like that,_ she told herself sternly. _Johto is safe. It’s not hungry and desperate. Neither of them are going to die. Until I find Team Rocket, everything will be fine._

{}

“Steve!” Saylee yelled as he suddenly keeled over in the midst of battle. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m rather sorry, I’m afraid that’s my poison,” the opposing Weedle said, dropping her string attack. “I could see that he was stronger than me, so I thought, better safe than sorry, made sure to give him a poisonous nick. They sell wonderful antidotes for that in the market, I believe.”

“They do,” Saylee said, finding Steve’s cut and spraying the remedy into it. “That was clever. I didn’t even notice, and I’ve tr- met Weedle before.”

“Yeah, that was sneaky, I’ll give ‘er that,” Steve muttered woozily, sitting up. “Ahhh, that hits the spot. Hey, brains, how’d you like to join the team?”

“We’re going t’be helpin’ Lyra getting’ to Goldenrod and the Lake of Rage!” Chip said brightly. “Want in?”

“Do I get a say in this?” Saylee interjected. “I _am_ your trainer.”

“As I understand it, trainer is a term for one who assists others in becoming stronger,” the Weedle says thoughtfully. “We have a personal assistant? How very nice. I’m Wendy. Charmed to meet you.”

“I’m Steve,” Steve said pompously. “Absolutely _enchanted_. And that’s Chip, positively _bewitched_ , and that’s Lyra, who as a human I’m afraid is not very magical at all.”

“Welcome aboard!” Chip said happily.

“I give up,” Saylee said, pulling her hat down over her glasses.

{}

“Awww! Rick!”

“The clinic’ll have him right as rain in a few minutes,” Saylee said, watching the kid scoop up his Rattata and run off. “Good going, Steve.”

“Oh, my,” Wendy murmured. “After watching all of these battles today, I’m feeling somewhat… strange…” Saylee looked down to see that she was secreting golden-yellow silk.

“That means you’re evolving!” Saylee said enthusiastically, kneeling down next to Wendy. “Bug-types do that young. Just relax and let it happen. You won’t be able to move around much as a Kakuna, but when you hatch as a Beedrill…”

Wendy’s eyes were closing sleepily as the cocoon covered her, but she could be seen to smile. “I shall _fly_ ,” she murmured happily.

“How long’ll that be takin’?” Chip asked curiously.

“Not too long,” Saylee said, watching the hard shell weave around Wendy. “But until she hatches, she’ll be _very_ vulnerable, so you two have to protect her extra carefully, understood?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Steve declared. “We shall guard you with our lives!” he shouted at Wendy.

“…I can hear just fine…” Wendy murmured. Steve was watching her in fascination, but Chip was staring at Saylee. She hadn’t been able to help flinching at Steve’s declaration.

“Let’s hope it won’t come to that,” she said softly.

{}

There was a loud flapping of wings as something snatched at Wendy. Saylee dropped to the ground, her whole body curved around the delicate load in her arms.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Steve yelled, springing into action, he just missed the target, but he distracted it long enough for Chip to tackle it out of the sky. Steve settled for pinning the struggling Pidgey instead.

“Calm down, calm down!” She squawked. “I wasn’t _really_ going to eat it, I was just bored and you looked like fun to buzz. Will you get _off_ me?!”

“….Naaaaah,” Steve said, leaning on her wings. She screeched indignantly.

“Let her go,” Saylee ordered quickly. She felt close to panic. _Deep breaths_ , she told herself. _Calm down. It’s nothing._

“Decent of you,” the Pidgey said, getting up and fluttering her wings huffily. “You look awful rattled. Look, I’m sorry, it was just a joke, calm down!”

“It was _not_ funny!” Chip said sharply. “The nerve!” His back flared up.

Wendy extended her poison pincers menacingly, evidently agreeing.

“Oh look, buggy has claws, I’m _soooo_ frightened,” the Pidgey said sarcastically. “Do calm down. Nobody’s hurt.”

“You _could’ve_ been hurtin’ her, mind,” Chip admonished her. “Lyra says she’s bein’ right fragile right now.”

Wendy waved her poison stings pointedly, trying to make the point that she wasn’t _that_ fragile. Saylee hugged her close.

“She still could’ve hurt you very badly,” she told Wendy gently.

“Hmmm… she _could,_ couldn’t she?” Steve said thoughtfully. “Hey, feathers, how’d you like to join the team?”

“Wait, what?” Saylee said in surprise. Chip stared at Steve in shock.

“You _jokin’_ , Steve?” he asked.

“Hell no! This bird’s got spunk!” Steve said, flicking his tail at the bird. She just snapped at it. “See? I’m Steve. What’s your name?”

“Peggy,” she said, ruffling her feathers.

 “I bet she’s tough,” Steve continued, causing Peggy to preen. “She’d be useful, right?”

“Her evolved forms will be very powerful,” Saylee said, looking at Peggy. Another spunky little Pidgey. _But I’m letting them all go later anyway, right?_

“Team?” Peggy asked curiously. “What sort of team?”

“Bodyguards!” Steve said excitedly. “Lyra’s a powerless human, so we’re seeing her safe to Goldenrod and stuff!”

“Yes, because you look _so_ powerful yourself,” Peggy said sarcastically, but she looked intrigued nevertheless. “Are you training much? Growing stronger?”

“We came across Wendy just this morning and she’s evolved already!” Steve said excitedly. “And I feel loads stronger, too!”

“They do say you can grow much faster with a human trainer and a team,” Peggy said thoughtfully. “Very well. You ought to have _someone_ of some skill with you.”

“But you’re t’be promisin’ not to eat Wendy,” Chip put in.

“Yes, _fine_ ,” Peggy sighed. “So long as _somebody_ feeds me, I promise not to eat any of you.”

“Speaking of eating, it doesn’t look like we’re making it to Violet today,” Saylee said, eying the sinking sun. “Who’s up for making camp and having dinner now?”

“I am! I AM!” Steve said excitedly, bouncing up on his tail.

“O’ course _you_ are,” Chip sighed.

{}

“Thanks for roasting dinner,” Saylee said to Chip, climbing down from the tree to which Wendy had affixed herself for the night. In penance for her opening prank, Peggy was roosting next to her to sit guard. Steve, after stuffing himself, had curled up under the base of the tree and was sleeping soundly on his own fluffy tail.

“Well, I was just flamin’, and that’s _easy_ ,” Chip said shyly. “Say, Lyra? Why’re you bein’ so scared ‘bout Wendy? She’ll be fine, the whole point o’ that shell is to be protectin’ ‘er.”

“It can still be breached,” Saylee said, unrolling her new sleeping bag. It was thicker and warmer than her old one, lined with the same thick wool that made her tights. Saylee took off the stiff denim jacket and rolled it into a pillow- maybe such use would soften it up.

She saw Chip fix his gaze on the silvery burn scars that flecked her arms, the largest on her shoulder itself in the shape of a flame. “I had a Kakuna before. She was ripped open because I didn’t see a threat coming. I was fifteen. She was the first Pokémon I ever lost,” she said quietly, too quietly for Wendy or Peggy to hear her up in the tree.

“You were havin’ other Pokémon too, though, weren’t you?” Chip said, curling up on her lap and letting his fires die down. “You were knowin’ all ‘bout Peggy without lookin’ at the Pokédex.”

“Yes, I’ve had a lot,” Saylee admitted. “Lost more than a few.” She reached into her bag and pulled out her dreamcatcher, draping it over a low branch. It was a complex, haphazard mess of strings and odd items. The centre of it seemed to be the bent and battered spoons. Two different golden coins dangled among the web, and a single pink feather with the end burned off. Two small woven bags hung at the bottom, each with something flat and hard in it. Chip’s gaze drifted to one of the bags. Saylee knew that if she held that one to her ear, she’d hear the pulse of the earth, while the other would let her hear the roar of the sea. Even she wasn’t entirely sure what either of them actually was.

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes, and learned a lot of expensive lessons,” she said softly, her fingers trailing over the delicate feather. “The trick is in making good use of them, I guess.”

“Kanto sounds scary,” Chip said. Saylee patted his head.

“Don’t worry,” she said encouragingly. “This is Johto. Nothing bad’s going to happen here.”

_I won’t let it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably mention here that there’s a language warning for the next chapter. To those of delicate sensibilities… why are you on the internet? :x
> 
> Name: Steve. Species: Sentret. Nature: Quirky. Ability: Run Away. Level: 3
> 
> Name: Wendy. Species: Weedle. Nature: Careful. Ability: Swarm. Level: 4
> 
> Name: Peggy. Species: Pidgey. Nature: Sassy. Ability: Keen Eye. Level: 4


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 4 
> 
> Deaths: 0

 “What’s this cave?” Saylee asked, peering into the gloom.

“Dark Cave? It’s a funny place,” Peggy said dismissively. “The Pokémon down there are a bunch of weirdos, if you ask me. I’d certainly go crazy if I lived in a dark hole in the ground.”

“It’s lookin’ scary,” Chip said, peering inside.

“My map says it goes all over Johto,” Saylee said, stepping inside and squinting around curiously. “I wonder if— AAGH!”

She should’ve felt for her footing before ducking into the cave. Straightening up just as her foot found a drop caused her to overbalance, tumbling head over heels down a steep slope.

“Lyra! Wendy!” Chip called in a panic. “Are you okay?!”

“Wendy?” Saylee asked, running her hands over the Pokémon she’d managed to keep a grip on, hoping she hadn’t crushed her. “Are you okay?”

Wendy had gripped Saylee’s arm with her claws during the fall. She withdrew them hurriedly, eyes swivelling as she tried to see if she’d cut Saylee.

“You’ve got my arm tight, but no damage,” Saylee assured her, showing her the uncut sleeve. “We’re fine!” she called back up, now groping around for her hat. “Just a bit frightened, that’s all. Peggy, can you come pick up Wendy so I can climb up?”

Wendy extended her claws indignantly, clearly not happy at the prospect of being carried by Peggy. Saylee heard a feathery rustle as Peggy landed near her.

“I need to be able to feel my way out, it’s too dark for me to see,” Saylee explained. “Can you see, Peggy?”

“Just about,” Peggy said, flying over and gripping Wendy in her claws. “Cheer up, buggy, I’ll have you out in a tic. I’m afraid you’re a bit big for me to carry, Lyra.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Saylee said, feeling around with both hands for her hat as soon as Peggy flew off. She grinned triumphantly when she found the soft cloth and pulled it down tightly onto her head, her grin fading as she did not meet an expected resistance to the hat brim.

“Bugger!” she exclaimed, patting her face to check and then running her hands over the ground around her to search. “I’ve lost my glasses!”

“Would that be these, moy love?”

Something cold and hard tapped her on the arm. Saylee gripped it and felt her glasses being held delicately in a small, rocky hand.

“Thank you!” Saylee said in relief, running her thumbs over the glass. It felt undamaged. She pulled her hat up and put her glasses back on. It didn’t make a huge difference in the darkness, but it allowed her to notice that there was a bit of ambient light from the doorway, enough to make out the rough shape that to which the helpful hand was attached. “You’re a Geodude, aren’t you?”

“That oi am, moy love, that oi am,” she said. “Oi was just nappin’ over there when you come crashin’ down an’ these go bouncin’ aff moy ‘ead!”

“Sorry about that,” Saylee said sheepishly. “I fell. I’ll find my way back up.” She stood up and started feeling at the slope that she’d fallen down.

“It’s a moite treacherous that way, moy love,” the Geodude said, taking her hand. “You follow Georgia now, oi’ll see you out safe!”

“Thank you,” Saylee said gratefully. “Thank you so much. That’s a huge help!”

“Aw, t’ain’t nothin’,” Georgia said. “Oi sees in the dark jus’ foine, oi does, an’ you’re not far aff the exit.”

A couple of minutes later, Saylee clambered out into the sunlight. Georgia winced, holding up a hand to shield her eyes, unused to the light.

“Lyra! You’re okay!” Chip said, glomping her around the knees.

“Thanks to Georgia here,” Saylee said, smiling down at the helpful little Geodude. “Thank you so much, really.”

“Awww, t’ain’t nothin’,” Georgia said modestly. “Jus’ glad everyone’s alroight.”

“Thanks to you!” Steve said. “Hey, are you made of _rocks_? Badass!”

“That oi am,” Georgia said, stretching out her arms. “You’re a funny lot, you are. You a team, are you? Funny thing otherwoise, a Pidgey, a Kakuna an’ a Sentret wi’ a human an… sorry, moy love, I ain’t never seen nothin’ loike you,” she added to Chip.

“I’m bein’ a Cyndaquil,” he offered.

“We’re bodyguards for Lyra!” Steve said, bouncing. “She’s our trainer!”

“She’s going to train us to be _strong_ ,” Peggy said, dropping Wendy into Saylee’s arms. “And we’re going to _travel_ , not sit around in some dingy little cave.”

“Now, ain’t that somethin’,” Georgia marvelled. “Oi’ve always wondered what it’s loike outside, but it’s rather scary wanderin’ off on your own, ain’t it?”

“You could be wanderin’ off wi’ us, if you’d like,” Chip offered, glancing at Steve. “You were gonna be offerin’ anyways, I figured I might as well do.”

“If it’s not too much trouble, moy love,” Georgia said. Saylee sighed and shrugged. “Fancy that, me getting’ out an’ about in the sunloight!”

“Fancy that indeed,” Saylee said, looking across her little team that was forming. It looked like it was going to be a busy trip.

Still, she supposed, she had time before she had to face Team Rocket. Maybe a little fun wouldn’t be so bad.

{}

They reached Violet City at about midday. Saylee couldn’t help marvelling at the place. It wasn’t much larger than Viridian, but it was a fully functioning community. No ruined buildings, a free clinic like the one in Cherrygrove, and all of the children playing together outside of a building signposted as the “Pokémon Trainers’ School”. “School” was the word Professor Oak had used for the time he’d spent teaching them to read and write and count; here, they had a whole building just for that.

They were on an autumn break, but Ethan went five days out of seven the rest of the year. He complained often about having to make a trek to Violet— which only took a couple of hours if you didn’t run into as many distractions and stop to train as often as Saylee did— and about how boring it was. Saylee was always telling him to appreciate his education and the fact that he and Marina could go so far safely.

At the clinic, however, they were let in on some bad news.

“I’m afraid the road to Goldenrod’s been blocked by an odd copse of trees,” the nurse said as she ran Saylee’s Pokémon through the healing machine. “Nobody’s been able to cut them down. It’s very strange. Nobody’s been able to get through for nearly two weeks. I was hoping to go shopping in Goldenrod, too…”

Saylee looked at the five pokéballs that the nurse handed back to her. She could use her portpad to get Chaz or Sheska to fly her over, but there was a great risk of being spotted, especially if this blockade was drawing a lot of attention. “Is there another way around?” she asked, pulling up her pokégear map.

“Well, you could try going through Azaela and the forest,” the nurse said, pointing them out on the map. “It’s quite a trek, though, and I wouldn’t suggest it at all if you didn’t already have Pokémon. You’ve got to go through the Union Cave just to get to Azaela and then through the forest. You can’t get to the cave without special permission from Falkner, however. It’s rather dangerous.”

“Falkner?” Saylee asked. The name sounded familiar, but it took her a moment to place it. “Oh… the guy that runs the training dojo for flying-types here?”

“Yes, it’s just across the road from the school,” the nurse said. “He inherited it from his father, you see. He’ll want to test that you’re a capable trainer before he lets you go to Union Cave.”

“Fair enough,” Saylee said, pocketing her Pokémon. “Can I have directions to the Sprout Tower? I’d like to train there first…”

{}

“I have failed in my training,” Jin said dejectedly, scooping up his fallen Bellsprout. “Come, Bartholomew, we must meditate upon this.”

 _Some warrior monks,_ Saylee thought as another monk approached, looking to spar. _You’ve trained your whole life for a Bellsprout that Steve could take out that easily? I’d hate to see what would happen if I’d used Chip…_

The Tower was infested with Rattata too, which the “warrior” monks clearly weren’t doing a particularly thorough job of keeping out. Saylee ended up catching a particularly persistent one named Rei just to get her to leave them alone. Saylee sent Rei back to Vera to care for; as an ex-Rocket, she was very used to caring for a Rattata. Saylee wasn’t worried about how Rei would fare under Vera’s care. She’d seen Vera help look after the Pokémon coming through Professor Elm’s lab in the past few months, and she’d been very dedicated to learning to care for all of them properly. When she’d finally allowed herself to acknowledge what she’d been doing for Team Rocket, her guilt complex had become overpowering.

Wendy sat comfortably in Saylee’s arms, watching the battles closely. She was growing heavier as they ascended through the sparring floors. Bug-types evolved young and quickly when exposed to a lot of combat exertion, and Sprout Tower, despite the weak monks, was bursting with it.

“So bein’ a hoigher level monk means you train Hoothoot _an’_ Bellsprout?” Georgia asked after taking out one of the birds in question after Peggy blew away another Bellsprout. Hoothoot wasn’t a Pokémon that Saylee was familiar with, and she’d set Georgia on it solely on the basis that it was clearly a flying-type; she’d needed the Pokédex to warn her that they tended to have psychic powers.

“Just focus on those Hoothoot and let Chip and Peggy worry about the Bellsprout,” Saylee told Georgia. “Right, who’s next?”

“Miss, you have bested all of the green-belt monks in single combat,” one of the monks said politely. “This way to meet our elder and master. He is currently meeting with a boy of extreme promise.”

As they approached the sliding door to the master’s room, however, shouting could be heard from within.

“Fuck you! You’re all weak! Why the hell would I want to train with _you_?!”

“Lyra,” Chip said urgently, “in’t that—”

Saylee nodded, pushing aside the door and running into the core room of the temple.

“You have a lot of anger that you cannot control, young man,” the elder said patiently to Silver.

“Tell me something I _don’t_ know,” Tyra muttered. She was standing by Silver’s side as the two of them stood before a wrinkled old man in a more thickly-layered monks’ robe. Silver looked angry, the old man somewhat sad.

“Tyra!” Chip called happily. “We found you!”

“Oh, great, just what I _don’t_ need,” Tyra snapped. “And there’s _more_ of you now. Bloody fantastic.”

“Silver,” Saylee said, ignoring Tyra for now, “what are you doing here? Where are you and Tyra going?”

“Somewhere that isn’t full of _weaklings_!” Silver snapped, returning Tyra and hopping out of a window.

“This is the fourth floor!” the monk that had led Saylee in yelled. Saylee shoved Wendy into his arms and ran over to the window in a panic. She was just in time to see Silver shimmy his way down the various shingled roofs and land safely at the bottom.

“Jammy little—” she muttered under her breath. “It’s okay,” she reassured the worried monk, going to retrieve Wendy. “He climbed down safely.”

“I see…” the elder said calmly. “I had hoped that our order could be of help to that boy’s troubled soul, but alas, it is not to be.”

“Master, this girl is also of great talent,” the monk said. “I have brought her to meet with you and receive your blessing and that of the great Bellsprout.”

“Hmmm,” the elder said, eying Saylee critically. “What is your name, girl?”

“Lyra,” Saylee said. Lying to the serene old man was a little uncomfortable, and the local belief was that anyone who lied within the temple would be cursed by the Great Bellsprout. Saylee glanced back at the great thick beam that ran up the centre of the temple, but there was no sign of it coming to crush her. “Of New Bark Town.”

“Hmm. Very well.” Saylee got the distinct impression that she had not been believed. “I will test her myself, first. Bor?”

“Aye, Master?” a tall Bellsprout said, unfolding himself from a meditative position.

“You want this, Peggy?” Saylee asked.

“Second verse, same as the first,” the Pidgey said, flying forward and unleashing a powerful gust of wind that knocked Bor off of his roots.

“Woo!” Steve cheered. “You go!”

After a few such passed, the elder motioned for the clearly outmatched Bor to retreat. “I call on you, Horatio.”

“And I attend.” A Hoothoot flapped down from the rafters. Peggy and Steve started sniggering at the somewhat antiquated exchanges. “Who is to be my foe?”

“That’ll be you, Georgia,” Saylee said to the rocky Pokémon.

“Alroight then, moy love,” Georgia said, immediately flinging herself at Horatio in a heavy tackle. He dodged quickly, his eyes beginning to glow. The pupils rolled as he started to hypnotize Georgia.

Georgia tackled him out, completely unaffected.

“It’s an interesting thing,” Saylee mused aloud. “Georgia hasn’t accustomed too badly to moving around in the sunlight, but the fact is she’s spent almost her whole life underground. She can’t see a thing in strong sunlight, or when things glow like that.”

“I see,” the elder said with a nod. “You have found an advantage in weakness.”

Saylee pushed her glasses up her nose. “I don’t believe in weakness. Everyone has strengths, and anybody can be strong.” She looked down at Chip. “Right?”

“Uh-huh,” Chip agreed, stepping forward to meet their last opponent, another Bellsprout.

“Vine whip, Benjiro,” the Elder commanded. Long vines wrapped around Chip, holding him fast.

“Mistake,” Saylee said as Chip flared up his back, severing the vines. “Now ember!”

Chip blasted a mouthful of hot embers at the unfortunate Benjiro. “We won!” he said excitedly, turning to Saylee. “Hey, what’s bein’ wrong wi’ Wendy?”

Wendy’s shell was heavy, warm and shaking, and suddenly it _cracked_ down the middle. Two huge white wings folded out of it.

“She’s made it!” Saylee yelped happily, watching Wendy first flap her wings and rise into the air. “She’s a Beedrill!”

Wendy looked down at her new black-and-yellow body, her new arms and legs, and the huge, vicious silver stingers at the end of her top limbs.

Her shell crumbled off of Saylee’s arms and into dust.

“Your Pokémon fight with united hearts,” the Elder said, sounding pleased. “You share your energy with one another. It is a wonderful thing, and is why your Kakuna has grown so fast. Hearts like yours bring light to the darkness.”

“I’m most certainly _not_ going to eat you now,” Peggy said, flying around Wendy, who was much bigger than her now.

“Don’t talk about eating, you’re making me hungry!” Steve wailed.

“Always thinking with your stomach,” Peggy muttered. “Just like a Sentret.”

“I appreciate your blessing,” Saylee said, bowing politely to the Elder who was patiently watching them squabble. “Now, I guess I’d better feed these guys…”

“Here,” the Elder said, handing her a flat green leaf. “Go with the blessings of the Great Bellsprout.”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, slipping the leaf into the pocket with her dreamcatcher. She didn’t know if the leaf had any actual power, but one never knows, and she needed all the luck she could get.

{}

“You know, I would _love_ to train like that,” Peggy said, watching Saylee carefully cut little holes into the leaf so she could thread it into her dreamcatcher. “You know, focused, dedicated… only without sucking.”

“I hear you,” Steve said. “I would’ve gone to train with those monks a long time ago if they were any better at it…”

“Well, I’d say their focus is more on meditation and nature worship than battle anyway,” Saylee said, picking up the corner strings of her dreamcatcher and dangling the web of trinkets and mementoes in the air. “You might find eternal peace, but I don’t know if you’d evolve.” _Not that eternal peace sounds like a bad idea…_

“I, personally, would much rather travel,” Wendy said. She was flying in large, lazy loops in the air. “I have wings now, and I should quite like to spread them.”

“That sounds noice, that does,” Georgia said, watching her fly around. “Oi’d quite loike to travel moiself, o’course. It’s noice, travellin’ with others.”

“You were travellin’ from Kanto, right?” Chip said to Saylee. She nodded.

“I travelled with my mother and my big brother,” she said, which wasn’t exactly a lie, just outdated. “He left awhile ago and didn’t come back, though.”

“That sucks,” Steve said, frowning. “What was his name?”

“Red,” Saylee said, watching the leaf spin slightly on its string. “His name is Red.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s a day late… life is extremely busy right now XP More accents! Georgia’s got a bit of a Wess Coun’ree accent going on. Some people have asked about Chip’s… it’s a watered-down rendition of a specific Irish accent spoken by a couple of people that I know. Their accent is my favourite thing in the world and I could listen to them talk forever, so I just had to give it to my partner here :)
> 
> Name: Georgia. Species: Geodude. Nature: Modest. Ability: Sturdy. Level: 4 
> 
> Name: Rei. Species: Rattata. Nature: Brave. Ability: Guts. Level: 3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 6 
> 
> Deaths: 0

When Saylee got to the dojo, she was a little frustrated to learn that Falkner was away and wouldn’t be back until lunchtime, but at least that gave her a little time that morning to write home. She had to wonder what Chaz and the others would think of her current team. _Chaz’ll probably be happy to hear that Wendy evolved okay. After all, he was there when Wilma died, too…_

She was sitting in the inn’s airy canteen and finishing her letter when a shadow briefly crossed the sun. Saylee looked out of the window to see what was unmistakeably a Pidgeot circling down towards the dojo. She sent the letter through the portpad and headed out to the dojo herself to organize a battle.

“Falkner’s back,” she said, letting out her Pokémon. “Ready for battle?”

“Bring it on,” Chip said, flaring up his back. Saylee let him and Steve battle the preliminary trainers, dojo students who were testing if she was worth Falkner’s time. The dojo was organized in the traditional Johto style, novices and weaker pupils training near the door and the more advanced acolytes further back into the dojo. The building itself was hardly traditional, however. The trainers also fought across broad platforms of various heights, set against a long staircase that ran against the dojo wall; the first trainer Saylee fought was barely six feet off the ground, but the platform at the back of the room must have been twenty-five feet up. The ceiling at the back was open, as well, allowing flying-types to soar in and out of the room.

A blue-haired young man in a short-legged traditional _hakama_ outfit with a blue jacket was waiting on top of the tallest podium, helping the Pidgeotto on his arm groom its crest. “I’m Falkner. Are you Lyra?”

“I am,” Saylee said.

He bowed to her, and she nodded back, unsure what the actual etiquette for the dojo was. She’d mostly spent the last two months looking for links to Team Rocket; once she’d independently confirmed that Falkner had no criminal connections, she’d lost interest in him and his dojo. “I need your permission to get to Union Cave.”

“I see,” Falkner said with a nod. “You are here to be tested. Fine.” He stretched out his other arm and a Pidgey came down to roost on it. “Two Pokémon, no switching until one is unable to battle. Just a friendly bout. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Saylee said, nodding to Georgia. “You’re up first, Georgia.”

“Quick attack, Peo!” Falkner ordered. His Pidgey flew almost invisibly fast towards Georgia, slamming off her. Georgia rocked slightly, but wasn’t damaged.

“Tackle!” Saylee ordered. Georgia grinned and slammed herself into Peo. She was much slower, but her body was a solid chunk of living stone. They struck at each other again, and Peo collapsed while Georgia didn’t have a scratch.

“Okay…” Falkner said with a nod, returning Peo. “Pawel! Gust!” His Pidgeotto flew from Falkner’s arm, flapping his broad wings at Georgia.

Saylee had to hang onto her hat, but Georgia was unmoved by the gale. Peggy, however, was watching Pawel with shining eyes.

“ _Wow_ ,” she breathed, watching him pull back and soar up to the ceiling, too high for Georgia to tackle him. “Do you think _I_ could fly like that someday?”

“If you train hard,” Saylee promised, giving Peggy a smile before turning her attention back to the battle. “Rock throw!”

Georgia produced a handful of small stones from somewhere and began flinging them hard at Pawel. Pawel was fast, and several stones missed and went skittering over the edge of the platform, but when one hit, he was he was knocked out of the sky. Georgia was able to tackle him once he was on the ground, finishing it.

“Very good,” Falkner said, returning Pawel to his pokéball. “You’ll be fine in the Union Cave. Here, show this to the gatekeeper and he’ll let you through.” He stepped forwards with his hand outstretched. “It’s my emblem, the Zephyr.”

“Thank you,” Saylee said in relief, turning the flat, arrow-shaped emblem pin over and then attaching it to her bag strap. It was very similar to the emblems she’d sometimes received in Kanto, symbols of respect and loyalty. Amazing what a little shard of metal could do…

“Do you only train birds?” Peggy asked, fluttering over to Falkner.

“I’m an expert in them,” Falkner said, stroking Peggy’s beak with a smile. “Nobody trains better birds than I do. I have much more powerful birds, by the way,” he added to Saylee, “but Peo and Pawel are currently about the strength of the Pokémon that live in and around the cave. If you can take them out that easily, you’ll have no trouble with the wild Pokémon down there.”

“Could you train _me_ to be really strong?” Peggy asked. Falkner looked from her to Saylee.

“Don’t you have a trainer already?” he said, nodding at Saylee.

“Yes, but you’re the _expert_ ,” Peggy said worshipfully.

“I’m just a new trainer, anyway,” Saylee said. “I don’t know that much about Pokémon. If you want to be your best, Peggy, you might be best off here…”

“Well, if it’s alright with you, I’d be glad to take her under my wing, so to speak,” Falkner laughed. “She’s in very good condition, though. You’ve cared for her very well.”

“You’re really going to stay here, Peggy?” Steve said, looking downcast. “On your own?”

“Well, there are other birds here…” Peggy said, but she was looking a little nervous about leaving on her own.

“If you’re feelin’ lonely, moy love, one o’ us could stay wi’ you,” Georgia said, looking at Chip and Steve. “Roight?”

“Would it be alright if Steve stayed on with me?” Peggy asked Falkner.

“My specialty is flying-types, but I don’t really see why not,” Falkner said with a shrug. “If you’re happiest training together…”

“Me? Are you sure?” Steve said in surprise.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, I’m sure,” Peggy said quickly. Steve shook his head.

“No, I’m happy to, if you want me to train with you!” he said just as quickly. “We ought to train together, after all, and become super-tough! Then we can catch up with Chip and Lyra and we’ll be way stronger than them!”

“Hah! Oi bet oi can get twoice as strong as you,” Georgia teased him.

“I’ll show you!” Steve declared.

“Alright, then,” Saylee said, letting Wendy out so she could say her goodbyes and scooping up Steve. “Thanks for taking them on, Falkner. I’d better warn you, Steve can probably eat more than your entire gym put together.”

“That’s fine, the rest of us eat like birds,” Falkner laughed. Saylee gave Steve a hug goodbye and handed him to Falkner.

“Be good and train hard, both of you,” Saylee said, stroking Peggy’s beak. “I know you’ll both be amazing.”

“Thanks,” Peggy said, looking up at Wendy. “Sorry for trying to eat you, buggy.”

“No bother… tailfeather,” Wendy said. Peggy flicked her tail at Wendy.

“You three look after Lyra, got it?” Steve said. “This is my last command as team leader!”

“Who was makin’ _you_ team leader in the first place, anyways?” Chip muttered.

{}

After they’d all said their goodbyes, Saylee and her remaining three Pokémon left the dojo, ready to try and get to the cave before the end of the day.

“Funny how you can know someone for only a few days and miss them so soon, isn’t it?” Wendy mused.

“Roight enough,” Georgia said. “Oi’m sure we’ll see ‘em again soon enough…”

The two wandered on ahead, chattering. Chip nudged Saylee’s ankle, so she leaned down to scoop him up into her arms. “Do you think I should’ve made them stay with us? They wanted to stay here…”

“I know they does,” Chip said quietly. “I just been wonderin’ if _you_ were wantin’ ‘em t’stay wi’ us. You were never wantin’ t’be catchin’ ‘em to start with. You weren’t even wantin’ t’be bringin’ me, to start…”

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad I did,” Saylee said softly, giving him a cuddle. “I’d just rather see them leave knowing they’re going to be happy, rather than…”

“Lee! I found you!”

Saylee froze at the sound of the familiar little voice. No, no way, it _couldn’t_ be…

She turned and crouched, setting Chip onto the ground just in time to catch the rotund little Pokémon that ran into her arms. “Tobias!” she gasped, holding him up. Yes, it _was_ Tobias, the baby Pokémon that she had hatched in the Sevii Islands, Carrie and Hernan’s adopted son. He was wearing the distinctive shell bell necklace that Hernan had found on the Pallet beach and given to him. “What on earth are you doing here?!”

“I got sent to Vera!” Tobias said brightly. “She was gonna put me in my ball again, but I _hate_ that, so I ran off to find you! I’m glad I found you, a creepy lady’s been _chasing_ me…”

“Who is this child?” Wendy asked, buzzing around Tobias curiously.

“I’ll explain everything somewhere more private…” Saylee muttered, scooping up Tobias and making a break for the route south. She didn’t quite make it.

“Hey, there’s my friend Lyra! LYRA!”

“Hi Ethan!” Saylee said, pasting on a smile. “My name here is Lyra,” she muttered to Tobias between her teeth before waving to Ethan. “What are you doing here?”

“We wanted to see how you were, Lyra,” Marina said, hurrying over to Saylee in the wake of her young trainer. For some reason, they were being followed by a woman in a beautiful red kimono, heavily layered and folded with a deep black _obi_ sash. She was wearing a traditional style of makeup too, with her cheeks painted pale and her lips bright red, and her hair was tied up into a complex and heavy-looking arrangement of rolls and curls.

“I met this pretty lady outside of the school!” Ethan said excitedly. “She said she’s looking for a special Pokémon!”

“I found him,” the lady said with a gentle smile at Tobias. “So you raise a Togepi, bringer of joy?”

“Umm… I guess so?” Saylee said, looking down at Tobias. She’d never known before just what kind of Pokémon he was.

“A _Togepi_?” Ethan said excitedly. “My mum told me a story about them! They’re supposed to protect lost children and bring happiness to people!”

“I can do magic,” Tobias said proudly, waggling his little hands. Saylee grabbed one and held it still. Metronome was not the most controllable or dependable power.

“It takes a special kind of person to raise a Togepi well,” the lady said, giving Tobias a pat on the head. “Do take good care of him. Thank you for assisting me in my search, Ethan. Take care. You too, Marina.” With that, she wandered off.

“Thanks for coming out to see me, Ethan,” Saylee said with a smile. “Guess what? I beat the dojo master, Falkner!”

“Whoa!” Ethan gasped. “Already? Cool!”

“You must be a very talented trainer,” Marina said brightly. “You’ve taken to it so quickly!”

“Thanks,” Saylee said, stepping away. “We’ve got to go south now. I’m afraid it’s dangerous, so we’ll have to say goodbye here. You go home safe, okay?”

“Awww…” Ethan looked downcast, but as ever, brightened right back up again. “A trainer as tough as you’ll be fine, Lyra!”

“Have a safe trip!” Marina said, waving her little paws as Saylee rushed off with Tobias in her arms and a confused Chip, Wendy and Georgia trailing in her wake.

As soon as she was out of sight, Saylee left the path and ducked between the trees. Chip, Wendy and Georgia all stared expectantly at her as she sighed heavily, sank to her knees, and set Tobias on the ground.

“You goin’ to explain that choild now, moy love?” Georgia asked, folding her arms and looking from Saylee to Tobias.

“Yes, Lyra, what _is_ going on?” Wendy asked. Tobias looked up at Saylee with a frown.

“Lee, who’s all this?” he said, pointing at the others.

“Don’t point, that’s rude,” Saylee said. “Everyone, this is Tobias, somebody I know from back in Kanto… Toby, this is Chip, Wendy and Georgia. Why are you here, Toby?”

“Mummy and Daddy thought I’d be safer out here for a while,” he said. “They don’t know what burned down the forest…”

“…And I hear that you keep running off to fight wild Pokémon anyway,” Saylee chastised him, “even though your parents train with you every day.”

“I wanna get strong! Just as strong as them!” Tobias argued. “Mummy and Daddy are both great warriors! I wanna travel with you and get strong like them! Here,” he said, pulling a letter out of his shell. “Mummy got Professor Oak to write that for you…”

Saylee read through the letter from Carrie. Tobias’ restlessness and constant running off was getting outright dangerous, and after hearing about how relatively safe Johto was, she and Hernan had agreed to let him go on ahead to join Saylee. They would be joining Saylee soon themselves, anyway, just as soon as she found Team Rocket’s main base.

“Can I stay, Lee, _please_?” Tobias begged. “Can I can I can I? Mummy and Daddy said it’s okay!”

“Only if you’re not going to run off,” Saylee said sternly. “I don’t know Johto, Toby. If you run off, I might not be able to find you. How would I ever face your parents if anything happened to you?”

“I promise!” Toby said excitedly. “I’ll be good! I just wanna be a big strong warrior like Mummy and Daddy before I see them again!”

“Who _are_ his parents?” Wendy asked. “How did you not know that this little one is a Togepi if you know his parents?”

“His parents are a Marowak and a Hitmonchan that I know,” Saylee said. “They adopted him, and they… might be coming to visit soon. I’d like to see them again, so I hope they are.”

“For someone who ain’t trained Pokémon afore, you sure do know some interestin’ ones,” Georgia commented. Saylee nodded, glancing warningly at Tobias, but the little one had obviously already been told about the need to keep a low profile in case there were Rockets about. Saylee wondered about having him at all, but the only Rockets who’d seen her with him and weren’t locked up were Vera and Proton. She had to wonder about that odd, beautiful lady that had been with Ethan in Violet City. She’d been _looking_ for Tobias…

“Wendy, Georgia, you both live near Violet,” Saylee said. “That lady that was with Ethan… have you ever seen her before?”

“Oi almost never been out of moy cave before,” Georgia said with a shrug. “Ain’t never seen a human like ‘er before.”

“I don’t go up to Violet much,” Wendy said, “but I do believe that I have seen females of that pattern at Mr Pokémon’s before. Perhaps they know him?”

“Perhaps…” Just because Sir Geoffrey knew the woman didn’t make her safe. The older gentleman was not fond of Team Rocket’s interference with Pokémon, but as Frederick had pointed out, he wasn’t that perceptive when it came to humans. If the woman was secretly a Rocket agent, he probably wouldn’t notice, and if they were friends she’d have free access to his vast store of knowledge about Pokémon.

Saylee had to pray that Sir Geoffrey hadn’t mentioned her presence to the strange woman and that she was just being paranoid. She’d begged him to keep mum, and he’d agreed pleasantly enough, but still…

“…be goin’ to Goldenrod, Lyra says, an’ probably the Lake o’ Rage too…”

“Lake of Rage? That sounds scary!” Tobias said. “Lee? Why are we going to a scary place?”

“It’s not actually scary,” Saylee promised him. “I wouldn’t take you anywhere dangerous.”

“Whoy’s he call you Lee, then?” Georgia asked. “That a nickname?”

“I suppose,” Saylee said with a smile. “When he was learning to talk, he couldn’t pronounce my name. He called me Lee instead.”

“I still do, ‘cause you’re Lee,” Tobias insisted.

“I kinda like it,” Chip said. “Alright if I be callin’ you Lee too?”

“Of course, if you like,” Saylee said, patting his head. “Lee” could conceivably enough be a babyish nickname for “Lyra”, after all. She just had to hope that her identity hadn’t already reached the eyes and ears of Team Rocket.

{}

“Get away! Go on, get!”

“Ow!” Saylee yelped as something small and hard hit her arm, jerking her awake. She curled around Tobias to protect him, fearing that they were under attack. She could feel Chip climbing over her sleeping bag.

“Watch out, Georgia!” He yelled. “You was hitin’ Lee there!”

“Sorry, moy love,” Georgia said, “but this little begger was sneakin’ up on ‘er…”

“Ow! Aight, aight, I’m movin’, leave off!”

Saylee sat up at the angry little female voice. It didn’t sound like anything big or dangerous, more like a little girl.

She initially looked like a little bundle of yellow fluff, running around to dodge Georgia’s rock throw. She had a shiny, bulbous orange tail and a little blue face and legs. Saylee’s Pokédex told her that it was a Mareep, an electric Pokémon from whose wool Saylee’s tights and sleeping bag were woven.

“Georgia, hold it, she’s just little,” Saylee said quickly. “What are you doing here, sweetie? Are you on your own? Don’t Mareep live in flocks?”

“Aye,” the little Mareep said, watching Georgia nervously. “I’m travellin’ tae Olivine, but. Gaunnae train wi’ ma Maw there tae be a ligh’ouse keeper. Everyin thinks I’m too wee t’dae it, but I’ll show ‘em!” She shuffled her feet bashfully. “But I am a tiny wee bit lonely wi’out ma brers an’ sisters…”

“My sleeping bag has Mareep wool in it,” Saylee said, unzipping herself and shivering a little in the chilly morning air. “Were you drawn to that?”

“…aye,” the little Mareep admitted. “Sorry ‘bout that. I’ll be movin’ on the now tae Union Cave…”

“We’re going to Union Cave too!” Tobias said brightly. “Lee, we’re going the same way as her, can’t she travel with us? Please? She’ll be all lonely otherwise! And she’s all fluffy, too!” He ran over to the little Mareep, reaching up for her wool and falling on his butt when he got zapped.

“Sorry! Sorry,” she said nervously as Tobias reached up again. This time, he managed to snuggle her soft wool safely, giggling happily. “Happens sometimes… sorry, wee yin.”

“It tickles!” Tobias said happily. “And now it’s soft!” He climbed up onto her back, bouncing happily in the thick wool. “I’m Toby, an’ that’s Lee an’ Wendy an’ Georgia an’ Chip! What’s your name?”

“Mary,” she said, looking around. “Would it… really be ‘kay fer me tae travel wi’ you? ‘Least through the cave?”

“We might as well,” Saylee said, carefully reaching out to stroke Mary’s head, not touching the wool lest she get zapped by the huge amount of static electricity that built up in Mareep wool. How Tobias was snuggled safely into Mary’s wool was beyond her; perhaps he’d inherited some resistance from Carrie. The two weren’t blood related, but Tobias was a very odd little creature with an incredible ability to pick things up from others.

“It’s always nice to meet new people, isn’t it?” Wendy said happily to Georgia. Georgia crossed her arms, watching Saylee start reading up on Mary in her Pokédex.

“That it is,” she agreed. “Funny ‘ow Lee’s seein’ it that way all o’ a sudden, ain’t it?”

“What do you mean by that?” Wendy asked in surprise.

“Oi mean, she weren’t wantin’ ta take any of us on, an’ all of a sudden the little one gets here an’ she’s all for new folk,” Georgia said. “What’s she so scared of?”

“Now, you can’t think a sweet girl like Lee means any harm,” Wendy chastised her.

“No, oi don’t,” Georgia agreed. “Oi’m just sayin’ that what she means an’ what ‘appens don’t seem to agree that much. An’ she’s ‘idin’ things from us, too. You know she is.”

“Yes, well…” Wendy glanced at Tobias. “I know why you’re suspicious, Georgia, but Lee seems like a good person.”

“Never said she weren’t,” Georgia said placidly.

“Besides, I’m sure everything will become clear in time.”

“That’s what oi’m afraid of.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got lucky in that the Togepi egg I hatched was the same gender and nature as the one I hatched at the end of FR. So here’s a little carryover character :D Also, I adore Mareep, so you would not believe my happiness when I caught Mary :) My love for Mareep is why she has a Scottish accent.
> 
> Name: Tobias. Species: Togepi. Nature: Serious. Ability: Serene Grace. Level: 1
> 
> Name: Mary. Species: Mareep. Nature: Careful. Ability: Static. Level: 6
> 
> Name: Jay. Species: Unown. Nature: Bold. Ability: Levitate. Level: 5
> 
> I left out mentioning Jay’s capture because, frankly, unless he’s the last Pokémon I have left alive, I am not going to use him. Unown suck just that bad. Their gimmick is cute, but beyond that… if I ever have a use for that gimmick, he may suddenly appear XD
> 
> By the way, Peggy and Steve are alive. I’ve had no deaths yet. It was just that while I had fun coming up with their characters, in the end I just decided that I didn’t want a Sentret or a Pidgey on my team long-term. So I boxed them. If I decide I want them back in later, they’ll reappear. Unlike Elric, though, they didn’t die ingame. I just didn’t want them on the team.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 9 
> 
> Deaths: 0

“Good afternoon, young lady! Care for a little snack?”

Saylee stepped between her Pokémon and the vendor dragging his covered cart towards her. They’d been training all day to try and raise Tobias and Mary’s power levels to be comparable to those of Chip, Georgia and Wendy, and everyone was pretty tired.

The man’s patter reminded Saylee of the sleazy vendor that had sold Miranda to her. Not that she regretted meeting Miranda, but that the man had been selling off live Magikarp had unnerved her a little, especially since she strongly suspected that he was selling them to eat. “Snack?” she said suspiciously.

“Sure! You look hungry,” the man schmoozed. “And have I got a treat for you! Sweetest snack in all of Johto! He reached under his cart cover and pulled out something long and pink. “Finest high-quality Slowpoketail, fresh today!”

“Slowpoketail?” Chip asked. Saylee took the pink tail from the man and squeezed it gently. She’d felt something exactly like it once before—attached to a Slowpoke.

“Is this _genuine_?” she asked slowly. “From a _real_ Slowpoke?”

“Of course it is!” the man insisted, mistaking her horror for fear of buying an inferior product. “Fresh off a living Slowpoke just this morning, and it’s a good one too, let me tell you, produces some of the tastiest tails in—gnk!”

Saylee kicked him hard, landing a critical hit. He slumped over, whimpering, and suddenly found two silver stingers at his neck.

“You are truly cutting these tails off of living Slowpoke?” Wendy said in disgust.

“They grow right back, and it’s not like the stupid things feel it!” the man croaked. “Anyway, _I’m_ not cutting anything! I just sell the tails! I get them from a guy near Azaela and that’s all, I swear!”

“You ain’t really thinkin’ that makes it any better, are you?” Georgia said menacingly, cracking her knuckles.

“Wendy, let him go and go find the police in Violet,” Saylee ordered. “Georgia, you hold onto him until she gets back.” Wendy nodded and flitted back off towards Violet.

“Come on, don’t get the cops involved!” the man cried as Georgia grabbed him into a painful-looking armlock. “I just sell stuff, that’s not illegal!”

“You’re still involved in an abominable trade, even if you don’t hold the knife yourself,” Saylee said, revolted. “You are not going _anywhere_. Now, who’s the man who gives you the tails?”

“I dunno! Just a bloke!” the man said, his salesman’s tones draining in his panic. “Got kind of a psycho look in his eye, if you ask me. Trust me, if this guy came to you with a job you wouldn’t tell him to sod off for fear of getting stabbed yourself!”

“But you always meet him near Azaela Town, right?” Saylee asked.

“Jus’ on the other side a’ this cave, in’t it?” Mary asked. “Are we gaunnae check it oot?”

“O’ course we are!” Chip said. “We’ll not be sittin’ back an’ lettin’ this happen, are we?”

“No,” Saylee said, scanning the skies for Wendy’s return. _It never goes smooth, does it? Why doesn’t it ever just go smooth…_

{}

Union Cave wasn’t too dark, especially with the bulb on Mary’s tail lighting the way, but it _was_ very damp. Water was constantly dripping from random stalactites and pooling on the ground. Saylee was continually trying to hop around deep puddles and banging her toes off of stalagmites. Chip had hidden under Saylee’s hat when the first drop of water hit him, and she could feel him shiver every time her hat was dripped on. Georgia, despite being a cave-dweller herself, also looked unhappy in the damp environment, and Wendy kept flitting back and forth to avoid the dripping. Tobias seemed quite happy riding along in Mary’s wool.

“Good thing this place is small, ain’t it, moy love?” Georgia said to Wendy. “We’ll be out roight soon…”

Saylee shrieked as her hat was suddenly knocked off by a flurry of blue wings. She flung her hands to her head to catch Chip before he was thrown off too, dropping to her knees next to Mary and Tobias. She looked up and saw a flock of Zubat circling them and sniggering.

“That wasn’t nice!” Tobias shouted, waving his arms. “Don’t be bad!”

His tiny hands glowed brilliant white. A huge blast of fire appeared from nowhere and smashed into the flock, sending scorched rock and Zubat raining down.

“…run run RUN!” Saylee screamed, pushing Mary and Georgia forwards as rocks continued to fall. “Toby, what did you DO?!”

“I saw Chaz do it!” Tobias said, clinging onto Mary’s wool and giggling as they fled the collapsing cave.

“Open air!” Mary yelled, diving out of the cave. “’Mon!”

“Great!” Saylee said, following her out onto the grass. The second she reached the outside, however, Chip yelled and tried to hide inside her jacket.

“Raaaiiin!” he cried, curling up. Saylee returned him to his pokéball immediately. He wasn’t as vulnerable to rain as Chaz was, but it still wouldn’t do him any good. She then returned Georgia, who looked just as unhappy in the heavy rain.

“Ew,” Tobias complained, looking up at the sky. “Mary, get in out of the rain! We can’t go outside!”

“We can, actually,” Saylee said, reaching a hand out into the rain and bringing back a handful of drops to taste carefully. It tasted clean and clear, if freezing cold. “The water here isn’t poisoned, Toby. We can go out in the rain and it won’t be dangerous… just uncomfortable.” She picked him up and returned Mary, who was looking exceedingly uncomfortable with rain dripping into her wool and causing random sparks to zap the air.

“Your hat, Lee,” Wendy said, reaching out one of her stingers with the huge white hat draped on it.

“Thank you, Wendy,” Saylee said, pulling the hat over her already soaked hair.

“What on earth happened in there?” Wendy asked, looking back at the cave. Parts of the cave were still glowing with fire.

“I blew up the cave!” Tobias said brightly.

“Don’t sound proud of that,” Saylee chastised him, returning Wendy. It didn’t look easy or comfortable to fly in the rain, at least not at the pace that Wendy had to buzz her wings at.

“Do I have to go away too?” Tobias complained. Saylee nodded.

“There’s no need for you to get soaked too,” she said, putting him away. She turned up her coat collar, pulled down the brim of her hat, and ran out into the deluge.

She only ran for a little ways. There was a path from the cave, but it was a mess of slick mud and slippery fallen leaves. She jogged along the grass by the path for a while, but eventually slowed down to a walk, finding herself enjoying the rain. It even _smelled_ clean. 

The mountains that hemmed in Kanto from three directions made it a microclimate, both meteorologically and socio-politically. During the civil war, a major assault by water Pokémon had been stopped by pouring vast amounts of toxins into the water. Saylee wondered who had come up with _that_ genius idea. She suspected that whoever it was had an IQ lower than their age because the knock-on effects had been both predictable and horrendous. The toxins had gotten into the clouds, and the winds off the sea had blown it all back over Kanto, from where acid rain poured down into the rivers and the earth. Saylee could remember, when she was a small child, having to run for cover whenever it rained because the water burned to the touch. Of recent years it merely smelled foul and made you ill if you got any in your mouth. More than a few children of an age with Saylee, growing up in that environment, had died that way. Without water filters, they all would have died years ago.

Johto was different. The water didn’t churn up Grimer and Muk. Water Pokémon other than Tentacool could live in the rivers and sea. The grass and many of the trees were green, and the rest of the trees were bright colours of orange and yellow. Even as the leaves died for the winter, they were beautiful. The plants back in Kanto were all a washed-out grey.

Saylee was really enjoying the rain when she spotted something odd amidst the green and brown— a splash of bright pink.

A little round, pink Pokémon was lying in the mud. It had two long, torn green leaves draped over it. It was also bleeding heavily. Saylee’s Pokédex told her that it was a Hoppip, a grass-type, which explained the leaves and why it was bleeding golden-red sap.

“Hello?” Saylee said, kneeling in the mud next to it. “Can you hear me? What happened? Hello?”

“…N-not… weak…” the little Hoppip murmured quietly. “Not… they said… useless… _not_ …”

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Saylee said, digging into her bag and pulling out a towel to wrap the injured Pokémon in. “Hang on. I can see you’re strong. You’re strong enough to hang on until we reach Azaela. You can do it!”

She set off down the path to Azaela with renewed haste. There’d be a clinic, there had to be…

“What was that?! Who the hell do you think we are, you stupid old bastard?!”

Saylee changed course and ducked into the treeline, not wanting to get mixed up in the fight she could hear brewing. Creeping along under the trees, she chanced a glance at the two men who were arguing in front of an old stone well and stopped cold.

There was an old man with his back to her. However, Saylee’s gaze was drawn quickly past him to the younger man that he was yelling at, dressed all in black. Old, tattered black, but black nevertheless, with a faded red “R” still very visible on the front.

Saylee froze up. _No, not here, it’s too early—_

The Hoppip whimpered in pain in her arms. Saylee looked from her to the Rocket, torn, but only briefly. The Hoppip was hurt. That had to come first.

 _I’ll send a message to Pallet from the clinic,_ she thought, running towards the gap in the trees where the town had to be. _I’ll get Chaz, Hernan and Carrie and deal with this here and now._

{}

“Dammit, Bill! Why the hell do all of your things have a sodding barometer in them?!”

The clinic was blessedly empty with no other patients in the small building and the nurse having long since hurried off with the little Hoppip, so there was nobody to see Saylee scream in frustration and fling her Pokédex at the wall when the portpad failed to function. She’d tried to send for Chaz, Carrie and Hernan, but the connection was on the fritz and the note wouldn’t go anywhere. It was probably all the rain—Saylee could hear it drumming off of the red roof of the squat cabin that housed the clinic.

She felt one of the pokéballs on her belt shake. To her surprise, Tobias appeared on the tiled floor in front of Saylee.

“Lee?” he asked, hugging Saylee’s ankle and looking from her to the Pokédex lying on the ground. “Why are you so angry? I could _feel_ it.”

“I’m sorry if I bothered you, Toby,” Saylee said, kneeling down and scooping him up into a hug. “I’m just mad because the portpad isn’t working. I think it’s this heavy rain, Bill and Celio could never get a mainland connection during the winter storms in the Islands…”

“Why do you need the portpad?” Tobias asked. His face lit up into a huge grin. “Are Mummy and Daddy coming through? Are they?! Yay!” Then his face fell. “But if the portpad isn’t working…”

“Exactly,” Saylee said, rubbing her forehead. “But the problem is… Toby, Team Rocket is here.”

Toby gasped. “They’re… they’re _bad men_!” he said angrily. “We need to _get_ them!”

“I am _not_ sending you into battle with Team Rocket!” Saylee said sharply. “Your mother would kill me. I need to get your parents, and Chaz… but I can’t until the rain stops…” She looked hopelessly around the tiny reception and waiting area. There was a payphone next to the door to the bathroom, but there weren’t any phone lines running between Johto and Kanto, so it wouldn’t help her get in touch with Pallet.

She jumped to her feet as the nurse stepped through the door opposite her, the one that led to the intensive care room and surgery. “She’ll pull through,” she announced. “She’ll need a little rest, some water and some time under the sun lamp, but she’ll pull through. I just wish I could get her some real sunlight…”

“Is it normal for it to rain this much?” Saylee asked. The nurse shook her head.

“The Slowpoke control the rain for us,” she explained. “Normally, our orchards flourish because they always get exactly as much rain as they need. I fear they’re going to flood soon… it’s been raining like this for nearly a week now…”

“Slowpoke?” Saylee asked sharply. “There’s Slowpoke here? Where?”

“Normally, everywhere,” the nurse said sadly. “They’re all but worshipped here because the rain comes when they yawn or cry. But they’ve all vanished, and now it won’t stop raining… we think they’re all down in their well, but every time we try to go down, these awful men in black stop us…” she wrung her hands. “I do hope they aren’t hurting them… but it won’t stop raining, and even Slowpoke don’t yawn this much…”

“Do you have any powerful trainers around here?” Saylee asked. She didn’t feel that her current team was enough to take out Team Rocket, but she couldn’t just walk on by. Putting together a militia would work as the next best thing.

“There’s Bugsy, but he’s just a child,” the nurse said. “Also, he’s not here. He went away to Goldenrod for the bug-catching competition… we don’t have many other trainers. Most people care for bugs and Slowpoke, but don’t train them for battle. We’re peaceful here…”

“…can I see the Hoppip?” Saylee sighed.

Toby patted her hands consolingly, and she felt a little warmth and optimism flow back into her.

{}

“How do you feel?” Saylee asked, stroking the Hoppip’s thin, soft leaves. They felt much more light and fragile than the leaves of an Oddish or Gloom; Saylee assumed that it had something to do with the Hoppip’s ability to fly, according to the Pokédex. The torn parts had been cut off, so this Hoppip wouldn’t be flying anytime soon with stunted leaves, but they were already growing back.

“Better…” the little Pokémon said softly. “I’m sorry to have been so much trouble…”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Saylee insisted. “My name’s Lyra. What’s yours?”

“Holly,” she replied. “Thank you, Lyra…”

“The humans who hurt you… were they dressed in black?” Saylee asked.

Holly nodded, a motion that made her whole body rock. “T’ey chased us out of our nest… everyone flew off in different directions…” tears started to well up in her eyes. “But lots of t’em got hurt and captured… but t’ey hurt me real bad, and t’ey said I was… I was too weak…”

“Shows how thick they are,” Saylee said, stroking Holly’s leaves. “They’re the ones who are weak and lazy. You lay out there in the rain until I found you and made it all the way here with those horrible wounds, and they say you’re not strong?”

“…Thank you…” Holly whimpered, trying to wipe away her tears.

“Don’t,” Saylee said, holding her still. “Don’t move, you’ll tear your wounds open. You need to stay right here and heal.”

“Holly, we’re going to go beat the bad guys,” Tobias told her. “I promise, we’ll get them back for you and bring the sun back!” He hopped off of the table and ran out of the door with astonishing speed.

“Toby? TOBY!” Saylee shouted, running after him. “WAIT!”

For such a little Pokémon with such little legs, Tobias was _fast._ He was gone into the rain before Saylee could catch him. At least it wasn’t hard to guess where he was going.

Saylee ran back to where she’d seen the old man arguing with a Team Rocket goon. Both of them were gone, leaving Saylee free to run to the old stone well. “TOBY!” she shouted again, unable to see the baby Pokémon.

“Down here!” his voice echoed out of the well. “There’s an old human! He’s hurt!”

“For pity’s sake, Toby!” Saylee shouted, climbing down the damp, rickety ladder as fast as she dared. Upon reaching the bottom of the well, she immediately released Chip, Georgia, Wendy and Mary. “Tobias, do NOT run away from me like that! You promised you wouldn’t!”

“I know, but… I’m so MAD!” Tobias wailed. “Team Rocket are BAD! They killed Mummy’s mummy! An’ Daddy’s brother! They HURT people!”

“What on earth is going on?” Wendy asked, fluttering down to the old man sprawled on the bottom of the well.

Saylee followed her, kneeling down next to the old man. His eyes were closed, and he wasn’t responding to sound. She checked his vitals andfound his breathing to be okay, with his chest rising and falling steadily. He didn’t have anything broken and he didn’t seem to be bleeding anywhere, but Saylee was still afraid to move him.

“Who’re Team Rocket, then?” Georgia asked Saylee.

“…Bad people,” she said. “Poachers and thieves and killers. They’ve kidnapped a bunch of Slowpoke and they’re cutting off their tails down here.”

“So they’re the bastarts, are they?” Mary said, electricity beginning to spark from her wool. “Let’s _batter_ ‘em!”

“Wait!” Saylee said sharply. “Team Rocket are—they’re strong, they’re dangerous, they’ll _kill_ , they—”

“They’re already knowin’ we’re ‘ere, Lee,” Chip said. Saylee looked up just in time to see a sentry Zubat flapping off, screeching about intruders.

“Come oan, then!” Mary shouted after it. “Bring it oan, square go, right here!”

“Mary!” Saylee said sharply. “We can’t… oh, damn it.” She returned Tobias. “Carrie and Hernan will _murder_ me if he gets involved… alright. We can do this. They’re not _that_ tough. We just need to fight smart.”

“We’re waitin’ on your call, moy love,” Georgia promised, hefting up a couple of rocks. Saylee stood up, stepping protectively in front of the unconscious old man as two Rocket grunts ran up to them, releasing their Pokémon…

…young, weak Zubat and Rattata. Saylee smiled.

“Is that all you’ve got?” she said. “Georgia, Mary, those Zubat will not like it when you do your thing. Wendy, Rock Smash should handle the Rattata. Chip, come with me…”

“What’re you thinkin’, Lee?” Chip asked as the other Pokémon dove into battle. Saylee skirted around the cave wall until she could see the two Rocket grunts clearly.

“I’m thinking that if they’re cutting off Slowpoke tails and those are the kind of Pokémon they have,” she said, pointing at the knives in the men’s hands, “then they’ve got weapons of their own. And I’m thinking that they’re less likely to get stabbing with embers all over their hands.”

“Mam was always tellin’ me how humans are bein’ too weak for us t’be usin’ powers on…” Chip said nervously.

“Singed fingers won’t kill them,” Saylee said, “but those knives will kill us. Remember; these men are poachers.”

The “P” word did the trick; Chip’s back flared up. “Let’s get ‘em!” He yelled, firing hot embers onto the hands of the Rockets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sure you’ve all had those moments where metronome throws you something ridiculous. A little Clefairy using Roar of Time or Spatial Rend… in this case, Tobias pulled out Blast Burn. Bloody Blast Burn. So I didn’t catch anything in Union Cave : x
> 
> Name: Holly. Species: Hoppip. Nature: Timid. Ability: Chlorophyll. Level: 6


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 10 
> 
> Deaths: 0

The Rocket grunts in the cramped, winding caves that branched out beneath the well had not regrouped ably. They hadn’t been training and some of them didn’t even know what their Pokémon could do. Saylee’s new team wiped the cave floor with them.

Georgia was somewhat uncomfortable with being told to give defeated Rockets a good thump on the temple to knock them out. “It’s just moy mum always said never t’ thump ‘umans,” she said, dropping a couple of them. “You’re an awful fragile lot, you are.”

“You’re not really hurtin’ ‘em, just makin’ ‘em be sleepin’,” Chip consoled her while heating the metal handle of the knife in one man’s hand until he dropped it.

“We’re not that fragile,” Saylee said, taking the black jacket off of one of the unconscious men and tearing it into strips to wrap around the bleeding tail stump of a mutilated Slowpoke. “Just so long as you don’t kill them, and I know you’ve got more control than that. If they get hurt, it’s no more than they deserve.”

“Is that not rather harsh?” Wendy asked, flitting around ahead to peek around a boulder.

“No,” Saylee said, wrapping up another Slowpoke, “this is.”

“I won’t let you interfere with Proton!” A black-uniformed woman yelled angrily, releasing two Zubat. Mary zapped the Zubat while Georgia gently knocked out their trainer. The whole altercation took seconds, and Saylee barely noticed it, having frozen in fear at the woman’s words. _Proton._

“I’m not seein’ any more,” Chip said. “You be feelin’ a’right, Mary?” Her wool had swollen massively, to the point where small puffs were starting to drop off.

“Feelin’ a wee touch funny,” Mary admitted, “but mainly _ragin’_. Let’s go!”

“Wait!” Saylee shouted sharply. “We need to be more careful from here,” she hissed. “The leader of this op is _Proton._ ”

“Who be that, then?” Chip asked. Saylee shivered.

“He’s cold as ice, bloodthirsty, and a stone cold psychopath,” Saylee said. The pained moans of tortured Pokémon were ringing in her ears. “I’ve only seen him once, and I was lucky to get away from that alive. I’ve heard more about him since, none of it good. He will kill us all if we get the chance. If I tell you to run, you _run_ , understand?”

“But—” Chip argued. Saylee grabbed him and hugged him.

“Please,” she whispered. “I don’t want him to kill any of you.”

“So, are you the little girl who’s trying to interfere?”

Saylee froze. She kept her head angled forwards, shadowing her face under her hat brim, but she could still just glimpse him under the edge. He looked just like he had on Five Island: the slick green hair, the cold eyes, the unhinged grin. A knife was casually dangling from his fingers, dripping with blood.

“So what if we are, eh?” Mary said, her wool expanding even more as it crackled with electricity.

“Mistake, little girl,” Proton said softly. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with here.”

“The cruellest guy in Team Rocket,” Saylee said, standing up but keeping her head bowed. Proton had only ever gotten a glimpse of her face before, but from what Vera said, he was vindictive. Once was enough.

He actually seemed pleased at her assessment of him. “That’s right,” he said, grin widening. “Though cruelty is really just a mean word for practicality, isn’t it?”

“You be the one hurtin’ all o’ the Slowpoke!” Chip yelled angrily. “Leave ‘em be!”

“Oh, please,” Proton said, rolling his eyes. “They barely feel it, and the tails grow right back anyway. Where’s the problem?”

“You honestly don’t know?” Wendy said, sounding scandalised.

“No, he just doesn’t care,” Saylee said softly.

“My, you do know me well, little girl,” Proton said, releasing a Zubat and a Koffing. “Once I’ve killed your insolent little Pokémon, I _will_ have to get to know you better.”

Chip growled and leapt down from Saylee’s arms. The other three Pokémon also stepped forwards, bristling.

“I don’t think you can lay a finger on them,” Saylee said, pointing at the Zubat and Koffing in turn. “Thundershock! Ember!”

“Kill them!” Proton ordered. Before his Pokémon could reach Saylee’s, they were knocked down by fire and lightning. Saylee didn’t watch the battle too closely, confident in Chip and Mary’s ability to defeat the low-level Pokémon that Proton was using.  She kept her eyes on the knife in Proton’s hand as he flipped it around to grip it properly.

As soon as his Pokémon fell, Proton stepped towards Chip, raising his knife. Saylee moved faster, drawing back her fist and, remembering one of Hernan’s tips through her blinding rage, aiming for a point about a foot behind Proton’s head.

He didn’t see it coming. He wasn’t expecting her to attack instead of her Pokémon. He hadn’t anticipated the fist between his eyes. Despite the pain that split across her knuckles, it was _sweet_ to punch Proton out.

“Ahhh,” she hissed, shaking her hand a few times and then pressing her sleeve over the blood welling from her split knuckles. “Moron! Don’t punch people in the head with a closed fist!” She looked down at Proton, who was visibly dazed and struggling to get back to his feet. “Worth it.”

“You…” Proton growled woozily, trying to sit up, hand to his bleeding nose. “…little… bitch…”

“That’s enough out o’ you, then,” Georgia said, giving him a tap to the back of the head.  He collapsed again and did not get up. “Where did you learn t’ Mega Punch, moy love?”

“Toby’s father,” Saylee said, clutching her sore knuckles. “ _Damn,_ it felt good to punch that creep.”

“Lee?” Chip called. His voice sounded odd. “I be feelin’ funny…”

“Chip!” Saylee gasped when she turned to see. “Mary, too! You’ve evolved!”

Chip’s voice sounded different—clearer and less nasal—because his snout was now much smaller, though his head was larger and his body longer. The fires on his back were larger, and a second fire had ignited on top of his head. Mary, too, was larger, and her skin had turned pink. She shook herself and tufts of wool fell off, leaving her with only a ruff around her neck and a large tuft on top of her head.

“Well, look at _you_!” Wendy exclaimed.

“Congratulations, you two!” Saylee said, smiling proudly at them. She pried Proton’s knife out of his fingers and stuck it in her bag, in case he woke up and had a bad idea. “Since you’re so big now, you can help Georgia and I carry out some Slowpoke!”

“Aww…” Chip complained, but banked his fires so he could haul out some Slowpoke on his back.

{}

“I can’t believe he got away,” Saylee groaned, thumping her head onto the tabletop. Azaela wasn’t exactly a tourist destination, and the little inn was as empty as the clinic had been before the influx of weak and injured Slowpoke. The “inn” was really just the spare rooms of the lady who owned the largest orchard in the area. Saylee was the only guest, and the only one at the table aside from her Pokémon.

 “Should’ve stayed with him or something. Stupid, stupid, _stupid…_ ”

“Gettin’ them Slowpoke out was more impor’ant, moy love,” Georgia consoled her.

“I wanted to fight too!” Tobias complained, before giggling as Mary’s tail bopped him on the head. He resumed chasing Mary’s tail light back and forth, in awe of her and Chip’s transformations. Holly, who had insisted on being let out of bed, was lazily floating on the updraft of heat from Chip’s back.  Georgia was sitting on a chair to Saylee’s left and Wendy was perched on the back of a chair on Saylee’s other side, whether trying to comfort her or feeling more protective of her with Proton on the loose, Saylee wasn’t sure.

“Toby, it was the man from Five Island,” she said. Tobias gasped in horror.

“He was bad,” he said. “He made the bad sound that hurt everyone…”

“Bad sound?” Georgia asked. Saylee nodded, scowling darkly.

“When I saw him before,” she muttered, “he was trying to make Pokémon stronger by using a radio signal. It just hurt them….”

“You shouldn’t be cheatin’ like that t’ be gettin’ strong!” Chip said indignantly. “Anyone can be strong if they be trainin’, like you was sayin’, Lee!”

“Here you go!” The innkeeper sang out. She was a short woman with light hair, a working tan and a smile for everyone, especially Saylee and her Pokémon after they’d brought out the Slowpoke. She trotted out of the kitchen with wooden bowls of food for Chip, Mary and Tobias, which she set on the floor next to them. “Spicy for you, leafy for you, and sweet just like you!”

“Thank you, ma’am!” Tobias said happily. The lady smiled at him and then at Saylee.

“Yours’ll be just a minute, dear,” she said. “I’ll be right back with a little something for your other Pokémon.” She hurried into the kitchen and came back with a tray with bowls of nectar for Wendy and Holly and a plate of gravel for Georgia. “Here we go! Yours is just about done, dear. It’s on us. Thank you so much for saving our Slowpoke!”

“Thank you,” Saylee said gratefully, watching her Pokémon tuck in. The innkeeper returned a short while later with a wooden plate of rice balls. Saylee was pleasantly surprised to find fruit packed into them when she bit into one. They were delicious.

 “Miss Lyra?” A little girl in a green pinafore came dashing in through the door with a bag slung over her shoulder. She spotted Saylee and grinned brightly, exposing a missing front tooth, and came running up to the table. “Thank you for saving my grandad and Sami from the bad guys in the well!”

“You’re Kurt’s granddaughter, right?” Saylee said. She remembered seeing the girl’s Slowpoke. She had been clutching a letter from the girl’s parents. It had reminded Saylee that her own mother was due a letter as soon as Saylee could connect the portpad again.

The little girl nodded. “The doctor said that Grandad threw his back out, but he’ll be all better if he rests!” She declared, dropping a bag onto the table. “These are for you! Grandad makes them!”

“Oh, wow,” Saylee said, opening the bag and picking up one of the myriad brightly-coloured orbs sitting inside. “Are these… pokéballs?” They looked like pokéballs, but the shells were rough and didn’t feel like metal. They weren’t painted the same colour as any of the standard pokéballs either; green, pink and orange were all present, and the pokéballs were painted in unusual curving or dotted patterns.

“The traditional kind!” the girl said proudly. “They’re really hard to make, but nobody makes them better than Grandad! He’s teaching me to make them too! Look, that one’s good for big Pokémon an’ that one’s good for fast Pokemon an’ that one’s good for water Pokémon an’…” she pointed in turn to a grey pokéball with a ring of blue dots, a light red ball with an elaborate yellow pattern, and a green ball with a red stripe down the middle. Saylee listened patiently, continuing to eat, while the little girl explained the different pokéballs, regularly interrupting herself with something she’d forgotten to mention before. She eventually wound down, sticking her tongue through the gap in her teeth while she tried to think of anything else she’d forgotten.

“Thank you very much,” Saylee said, tucking the pokéballs into her bag. “Tell your grandad thank you, too. I hope he feels better soon. Here, do you want this?” She offered the last rice ball to the little girl.

“Thank you so much! I’ll tell him, Miss Lyra! Bye!” the little girl called, grinning and clutching her prize. She waved to the innkeeper as she ran off.

“Watch your step, Maisie! How is it?” the woman asked Saylee. There was a chorus of “yummy!” sounds from her Pokémon.

“Delicious, thank you!” Saylee said, pushing aside her empty plate.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, dear,” the woman said, beaming as she started piling up dishes.

 “Ma’am, do you know how to get through the forest?” Saylee asked.

“Hmmm… not really, dear,” the lady said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “I’m afraid I don’t go through much. Bugsy knows, though. I’m sure he’ll tell you… well, he may challenge you,” she added with a little smile. “He’s the best trainer around, you see, and rather a brat about it, I’m afraid. Well, he’s only fifteen.”

“Is he, now?” Saylee said. “Well, do you know when he’ll be back?”

“Should be tomorrow, dear,” the innkeeper said. “You get a good night’s rest, dear. I’ll tell him when he gets back that you’d like to see him. You deserve a bit of a lie in!”

{}

“Lee?” Chip asked as they settled down for the night. The inn had old fashioned beds, made up of a thick blanket and pillow on a soft pallet on the floor. This was low class for Johto, but it was still nicer than most places in Kanto.

“Yes, Chip?” she said, giving her hair a brush and holding some of it over Chip’s head to dry it. The inn even had hot showers and a laundry service. It was a blessing to be out of her soaked, muddy clothes and into a dry, fluffy white dressing gown.

“Who exactly are Team Rocket?” he asked. “You were just sayin’ you were ‘ere lookin’ for bad folk, but… well, there’s a lot I’m not understandin’.”

“You was troyin’ not t’ let that Proton see your face, weren’t you, moy love?” Georgia said. Saylee nodded. “Whoy? Even if they knows you, what’d ‘appen if they saw you?”

“Red alert,” Saylee said, brushing her hair down into a low ponytail. “Team Rocket apparently has people all over the country. If they know _I’m_ here…”

“An’ who’re you, then?” Georgia pressed. “ _Lee_?”

“Lee…” Tobias said, climbing onto her lap. “I know you’re supposed to keep your identity secret in case Team Rocket finds out, but… these are our friends! Can’t we tell _them?_ ” He looked around at the others. “You can all keep secrets, can’t you?”

“Aye,” Mary said suspiciously. “But I’m no’ a big fan o’ secrets bein’ kept frae me.”

“Me neither,” Georgia said, folding her arms. “So what’s goin’ on, then?”

“My name isn’t Lyra and I’m not a newbie trainer,” Saylee sighed. “I’m sorry. This is why I didn’t want to bring you all along. I knew I’d come across Team Rocket somewhere here in Johto… I just didn’t expect to _here_ …”

“They were hardly that strong,” Wendy said dismissively. Saylee shook her head.

“There are two executives stronger than he is,” she said, “Archer and Ariana, I believe. And above them, Giovanni… they were weak there, but they can regroup. They have numbers. And if they know _I’m_ here, every single one of them will be after my head.”

“You big enemies or somethin’, then?” Georgia asked. Saylee nodded.

“I defeated Giovanni before, but he always escaped and came back stronger,” she said. “He’ll be back again, I’m sure, stronger than ever. When he is… Well, I’ve got Pokémon that have fought him before, and they’re stronger now too.” She hugged Tobias. “Toby’s parents, and Chaz the Charizard… When I come across Team Rocket again, I will bring them to fight. I won’t risk any of you against the stronger executives. There’s no need for you to get involved.”

“Aye, right!” Mary burst out. “Everyin in the country ought tae be gi’en these brounfluffs a good skelp upside the heid!”

“Brounfluffs?” Tobias asked. “What’s that?”

“Ye ken, the fluff that goes broun ‘cause it’s right over your—”

“That’s quite enough,” Saylee interrupted firmly. “There’s no need to get any of you involved and you won’t be. There’s just no need. I won’t see any of you die for this.” She hugged Tobias tighter. “I’ve seen too many…”

“It’s okay, Lee,” Tobias said, hugging her back. “We’ll all get stronger. We can’t not, with _you_ as our trainer. An’ then we’ll team up with Mummy an’ Daddy an’ Chaz an’ beat up Team Rocket!”

“Oi’m all for that moyself,” Georgia agreed. “Just don’t loy t’ us again, alroight? T’ain’t roight, loyin’ to the folk you foight alongsoide. We got t’ be able to trust one another, don’t we?”

“She’s quite right,” Wendy agreed. “I personally have no qualms about assisting in the defeat of the foul creatures who mutilated those poor Slowpoke so, but I wish to be able to trust my trainer.”

Holly fluttered over to Saylee. “I like you, Lee,” she said softly. “I t’ink I can get stronger wit’ you. I want to get strong enough to get back at Team Rocket.”

“Fighting isn’t the only strength there is,” Saylee said, stroking the scars across Holly’s side gently. “It’s the only strength that they know, and they don’t even have that. It’s almost pitiable, but it doesn’t forgive what they’ve done.” She shook her head. “And it doesn’t forgive me lying to you. I’m so sorry.”

“It’ll be fine, Lee,” Chip said. “We don’t mind helpin’ you t’be hidin’ yourself to the rest o’ Johto… just don’t be doin’ it to us, ‘kay?”

“’Kay,” Saylee said, reaching out and hugging him. “…Thank you.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 10 
> 
> Deaths: 0

“You took out that gang yourself? Nice. Good going. I mean, I could’ve handled them already, but Ilex Forest wasn’t safe to travel through in the storm, you know?”

If Saylee hadn’t been told that Bugsy was fifteen, she would have put him at closer to Ethan’s age. She’d almost tripped over him, coming out of the inn. He was small and skinny, barely over five feet tall—though that was still taller than Saylee—with a somewhat girly-looking mop of curly purple hair that clashed oddly with his camouflage-green t-shirt and shorts. He kept deepening his voice to sound older and carried a long-handled bug net that was taller than he was. “You’re that tough, are you?” she asked, watching Bugsy idly twirl the net in his hands.

“Oh, yeah! I’m the toughest trainer around!” He frowned thoughtfully for a moment. “Well, they say Maisie’s granddad is pretty tough, but he never fights, he just makes pokéballs. So that makes _me_ the best. Plus, I’m the best at bug Pokémon!”

“Yes, I hear you travel through to Goldenrod fairly often,” Saylee said. Bugsy shrugged.

“Well, I don’t normally go to the _city_ ,” he said. “Too big, not enough trees. You can find your way pretty easy from just past the old shrine, though.”

“Could you tell me the way?” Saylee asked. Bugsy nodded, grinning cheekily.

“Suuuuure… but first, let’s have a battle!” he insisted. “I want to _show_ you how tough I am. I don’t think you believe me.”

“Seeing is believing,” Saylee agreed. “Is there a good place to fight?”

“My best bugs are in my greenhouse,” Bugsy said, pointing with his net to some spot in the forest past the orchards, where some of the locals were reburying the roots of a tree that had been partially washed out in the storm. “Come on!”

 _Greenhouse_? Saylee wondered as she followed the boy through the trees. Greenhouses in Kanto were vital for growing safe food, and nobody would dare fight near or in one for fear of damaging the crops. _Then again, this place is full of orchards. I guess this greenhouse isn’t for food._

An odd-looking building came into view out of the trees ahead of her. The wood-panelled walls rose up for two or three stories before abruptly becoming a sectioned glass dome. Bugsy pressed some buttons on a panel by the door as he walked in, causing several of the glass roofing sections to slide aside. A flock of Butterfree immediately flew out of the gap in the roof, chatting to each other about the nicer weather. Bugsy waved to them, then pulled the door open and went inside. Saylee followed, openly staring.

The greenhouse was full of food, but not for humans. It was full of tall, leafy trees, dense bushes and sprays of exotic flowers. Bug-type Pokémon were _everywhere_ , nibbling at the leaves off of bushes or nosing at flowers. Most of them called out greetings to Bugsy, asking after some kind of tournament that he’d attended.

“Alright, guys, let’s clear out the battlefield!” Bugsy called. A flock of black-spotted, red-bodied bugs with four legs and bulbous eyes—a Johto-native species called Ledyba, Saylee recalled—fluttered off of a patch of grass and circled it, creating a red ring about twenty feet wide around the “battlefield”, an expanse of grass strewn with random rocks and dirt patches. Bugsy ran past the other side, climbing up a tree like a Mankey. “I’ll be right down, I just need to get a couple of my bugs! Blossom! Hey, Blossom?”

“You stand just there, miss,” one of the Ledyba said, pointing with two of her four white feet. Saylee walked over to the indicated rock and let Chip out.

“Thank you very much,” she said politely to the Ledyba. “Right, Chip, friendly battle against bug-types. Your power’ll have gotten a bit of a spike now that you’ve evolved, so go carefully, okay?”

“Sure,” Chip said, nodding. “Who’re we t’be fightin’?”

“Bugsy,” Saylee said, watching the kid drop out of a tree with the biggest Metapod that she’d ever seen in his arms.

“Right, let’s get started!” he said, running onto the battlefield. “Is that your first Pokémon? Never seen that before. Never mind. Blossom, Tackle it!”

Blossom rocked in his arms and then suddenly flew towards Chip, propelled by some unseen force from inside of the cocoon. Chip was knocked over by the blow, the velocity and hard shell adding up to a fair bit of power.

“Chip, use Ember!” Saylee ordered. Chip spat a burst of bright orange embers at Blossom. He was clearly trying to go light, but a Quilava’s fires burned far hotter than a Cyndaquil’s, and Blossom immediately wilted under the heat, collapsing limply to the ground with the tips of her cocoon curling. Her eyes were closed, but she abruptly expelled some steam from the chinks in her cocoon and sighed, so she seemed alright. “Well done! Next?”

“No! Blossom!” Bugsy cried, running over and scooping up his fallen Metapod. He cradled her like a baby and only winced at the burning touch of her overheated shell, refusing to set her down. “Warranunna, Poison Sting it!” He ducked down over Blossom. A Kakuna that had been clinging to his back flung itself forwards, poisonous stingers bared at Chip.

“Chip, dodge it quick!” Saylee shouted. The Kakuna was so big that she wondered how she hadn’t noticed it before; it looked almost as tall as Bugsy, much larger than Wilma or Wendy had ever gotten.

“Oi!” Chip yelped, barely dodging the stingers.

“Ember again!” Saylee ordered. Chip fired another weakened shot of embers at Warranunna’s back, and again, it immediately knocked out his opponent. Bugsy scooped up both of his burnt cocoon Pokémon and ran back to the edge of the impromptu arena, his face a picture of rage.

“You asked for it now!” He yelled, his already unbroken voice shooting up an octave. “Sadila! SADILA!” He whistled sharply.

There was a flurry of wind as a tall green Pokémon flew down from the highest trees and into the arena in front of Bugsy. “Might not want to hold back on this one,” Saylee muttered, looking at the large, fine wings buzzing from the Pokémon’s back and the long, sharp scythes that served as its forearms. “That’s a Scyther, and they can be deadly.”

“You bet!” Bugsy said proudly, settling down to rub burn salve into Blossom’s shell. “Quick Attack, Sadila!”

“Think fast!” Sadila said, shooting towards Chip. She was on him before he could blink, smacking him aside with the flat of her scythe. Chip was knocked almost out of the circle. The Ledyba fluttered nervously away from him as he rolled to his feet, looking much smaller with his fires snuffed out from rolling across the ground.

“Ember!” Saylee ordered. Chip spat a large blast of yellow-hot embers at Sadila, but she dodged easily, flying high up into the air, out of the reach of Chip’s embers.

“Now, Focus Energy!” Bugsy ordered, and Sadila began to glow white with power.

“Chip, you’ve got a lot more firepower now,” Saylee encouraged him. “I know you can hit Sadila from down here!”

“I’ll be givin’ it a go!” Chip promised, his back and head flaring up again. He flicked his whole body, tail to head, and a ring of fire shot from his body. The fire rolled towards Sadila just as she began to fly down to attack him, but the wheel of flame hit her first and knocked her out of the sky.

“Quick Attack, finish it!” Saylee ordered. Before Sadila could struggle back upright, Chip darted forwards and slammed into her, knocking her out completely.

“Sadila!” Bugsy cried, setting Warranunna aside and running to her side with the tub of burn salve. “Are you _okay_? Sadila!”

“That was impressive, Chip!” Saylee said, running over to hug him. She had to hold back slightly until he banked his fires and cooled down enough for her to touch him. “Well done!”

“You just won ‘cause you had a fire-type,” Bugsy complained.

“Well, yeah,” Saylee said. “Every type has their weaknesses. You’ve got to be on the lookout for them. Do you have any strategies for fighting fire-types?”

“Usually, I just don’t,” Bugsy said, putting Sadila into an apricorn pokéball. “I’m going to have to take her to the clinic… _great_.”

“I’ll walk you there,” Saylee said. The Ledyba scattered as the pair of them walked out of the arena, with Chip following Saylee. “You promised you’d tell me the route to the shrine in the forest, didn’t you?”

“Oh, uh, yeah…” Bugsy fidgeted with Sadila’s pokéball. “There’s an old path to it, but it’s overgrown in a lot of places, and you _can’t_ cut anything down near the shrine, so you need to go around quite a few spots. The path’s pretty clear on the way to where the charcoal makers cut, but then it branches off to the left after…”

Saylee typed a few notes on her pokégear map as Bugsy talked. Thankfully, the route description was heavy on the landmarks, so Saylee figured she could follow it.

Holly was playing around in some flowers outside of the clinic when Saylee and Bugsy arrived, pushing them out of the mud. She grinned brightly when she saw Saylee and Bugsy, twirling her leaves to float up into the air. “Lyra!” she said happily, floating over Chip’s back and giggling as the heat off his back buffeted her into the air. “You’re back! I t’ought you’d left already…”

“We’re just about to,” Saylee said. “Thanks for the directions, Bugsy!”

“Just wait ‘til Blossom and Warranunna hatch, I’ll beat you then!” Bugsy promised, waving and walking into the clinic with his three pokéballs.

“Where’re you going?” Holly asked curiously.

“We’re going through the forest to Goldenrod,” Saylee explained. “Shall we take you home first?”

“Ummm… could I maybe come wit’ you t’rough the forest?” Holly asked shyly. She turned from pink to red when she blushed, though the scars on her side went white. “Please? I always wanted to know what’s on t’ ot’er side of t’ forest, but it’s awful big… I never been furt’er’n t’ shrine. _Everyone_ goes t’ere.”

“Then you could be leadin’ us t’ the shrine, couldn’t she be!” Chip said excitedly.

“Would you like that, Holly?” Saylee asked. Holly rocked happily, fluttering her leaves.

“Very much!” She said brightly. “C’mon, t’is way…”

{}

The trees in Ilex Forest were closer and taller than the orchard trees around Azaela and were much more wild and varied than the neat, trimmed, nearly identical orchard trees. Light fell through the gnarled branches in random patterns onto the mossy forest floor. The wild old trees reminded Saylee of Viridian forest, but it wasn’t quite so dark or close. _Then again, maybe Viridian’s not so bad now,_ Saylee thought. _Toby said that there was a forest fire… and Mum’s last letter said that she’s been going to Pewter to sell lunch to the miners there. So it must be a lot safer and easier to travel…_

“What’re _you_ doing here, weakling?”

“ _Silver_?” Saylee said in shock, turning at the familiar boy’s angry shout. “What’re you doing here?”

“I heard Team Rocket had returned,” Silver said, crossing his arms and scowling at her. Tyra imitated his stance. She was bigger than Saylee remembered, nearly as tall as Silver, and her markings had changed, the cream patch covering much more of her body and her red crest rising up in spikes on top of her head. Silver, however, was wearing the same tatty black jumper and scruffy purple trousers as he had the last two times that Saylee had seen him.

“Tyra, you been evolvin’?” Chip said in surprise. Tyra smirked.

“Duh, I’m a Croconaw now!” she declared. “You’re looking a little less weak than usual, too.”

“We came to see the only guys around weaker than _you_ ,” Silver declared. “We were gonna kick their _butts_. But they’ve already run off!”

“Because I beat them,” Saylee told him. “Seeing as how they’re weaker than me and all… were you going to try and fight them yourself?”

“Of course!” Silver insisted. “They’re _weak_. They act tough all together in a big group, but that’s just ‘cause on their own, they’re _weak_. Just like _you_! I hate _all_ of you!”

“Silver, you’re just a kid—” Saylee began. Silver snarled, eyes widening as his eyebrows tensed, giving him a startlingly feral look. He grabbed a pokéball from his pocket.

“I’m not just a kid!” he shouted. “I’m strong! I’ll show you! _Go_!”

Saylee gasped, horrified, as a Gastly appeared. “Silver, why do you have a _Gastly_?” she asked. “It needs to be taken back to its place of rest right away—!”

“I’d rather _not_ ,” the Gastly said disdainfully. “Such a _dull_ place, and I’m not inclined to linger _there_. I’d _far_ rather continue to cause mischief.” He grinned widely, sticking his tongue out at Saylee.

“Enough talk! Attack!” Silver ordered. “Lick!”

“Eew!” Saylee yelped, grabbing Holly out of the air and stepping backwards. Tobias’ pokéball shook as the little Togepi appeared on the ground in front of her. “Toby!”

“There’s a ghost!” he cried, staring at the Gastly and looking distressed. “You’re a _mean_ one, too. If you’re not going to rest yet, then please _settle down_!” He waved his hands, beginning to glow.

“Don’t be usin’ Metronome!” Chip shouted. Saylee frowned.

“No, metronome’s white light, not pink…” she said, confused. The Gastly suddenly cried out as he glowed pink, shuddering and fading.

“What’d you do? _Cheater_!” Silver cried, returning the Gastly. “Ganging up!”

“You were bein’ the one attackin’ by surprise!” Chip shouted, flaring up. Saylee let Holly go and leaned down to scoop up Tobias instead.

“Toby, _please_ don’t jump into things like that,” she pleaded.

“It was just a _ghost_! I can handle _ghosts_!” Tobias insisted.

Silver stamped his foot. “We’re having a _battle_!” He shouted. “Pick one and let’s _go_!”

“Fine, then. Everybody step back,” Saylee ordered. “Mary, go!”

“Aight then,” Mary said, flicking her tail as she appeared. “Whit’s gaun oan?”

“You’re throwing a pink, fluffy Pokémon at me?” Silver sneered. “You’re such a stupid _girl_. That stupid girly Pokémon’s gonna get _bit_!” He released a Zubat. It fluttered around Silver’s head, opening and closing its mouth. Saylee couldn’t hear a sound, but she knew that it had to be “seeing” her and her Pokémon with supersonic waves.

“Uh, Silver…” the Zubat said nervously, turning to his trainer.

“Shut up and bite it!” Silver ordered. The Zubat fluttered nervously for a moment, but then obeyed, flying at Mary with his fangs bared.

“Thundershock, Mary!” Saylee called. Mary’s wool bulged with electricity, shooting out in a concentrated yellow bolt at the Zubat. It shrieked, this time _very_ audibly, and fell out of the air.

“You’re all USELESS!” Silver shouted angrily, returning it. “Tyra! You’re tough! YOU bite it!”

Tyra was faster than the Zubat. Her jaws clamped down hard on Mary’s neck. That only meant that Mary didn’t have to aim as she zapped her. Tyra collapsed, twitching.

“I don’t have time for this!” Silver shouted angrily, returning Tyra. “I’ll go get stronger, and then I’ll crush you _and_ Team Rocket and all the rest of the _weaklings_!” He turned and ran into the forest.

“Silver, WAIT!” Saylee shouted, running after him. The forest might have been lighter than Viridian Forest, but it was still a dim and twisty maze. Saylee soon lost him among the unfamiliar trees and paths. _That kid is_ good _at escaping…_

“Whit’s that wean’s problem?” Mary asked, confused. “Who _is_ he?”

“Honestly, Mary, I wish I knew,” Saylee said, looking around and trying to pull aside some tree branches hanging down over the path ahead of her. “He seems to have some grudge against me, and it sounds like he’s got something against Team Rocket…”

“Maybe they stole one of his Pokémon before or something?” Tobias suggested. “Or _killed_ one? They do that. They’re _bad_.”

“Maybe…” Saylee curled protectively over him as she tried to shoulder past an oversized bush. “Agh… Holly, you said you can cut bushes aside, right? Can you—?”

“No!” Holly said sharply, flushing when they all stared at her. “Sorry. But we’re near t’ shrine, and, um, you can’t cut anyt’in’ down near t’ shrine… you _can’t_!”

“Bugsy was sayin’ somethin’ like that, wasn’t he?” Chip said, banking his fires down.

“How for no?” Mary asked.

Holly carefully floated around a bush. “T’ protector lives t’ere, sometimes,” she said. “He protects all t’at’s green and growing. Stuff growing around t’ shrine belongs to him special. Cutting it down’s sacrilege… t’ere it is!”

Even though cutting plants near the shrine down was sacrilege, there was a small dirt clearing, all the grass worn away by the feet of pilgrims over untold years. The shrine itself was so overgrown that it was barely visible, but Saylee could just about pick out the wooden hut shape. “Come to think of it, the inn had a little version of this shrine near the door, didn’t it?” she said. “So did the clinic… a little wooden hut with a statue in it… it still had leaves growing on it, as I recall…”

“Leaving live leaves on the figure is a must for it to retain favour with the little fairy-god. I have seen such figures with green leaves that had not wilted in years. Life is indeed a blessing…”

“Who’s there?” Saylee asked, looking around. The woman melted out of the trees as if she were one of the ninjas of Fuchsia, which Saylee felt that she really shouldn’t have been able to do in that red dress. “It’s you!”

“Excuse me?” the woman said, tilting her head slightly in confusion. Saylee thought that it had to be the same woman that she had run into in Violet; red kimono, pink obi, thick pale makeup, elaborately piled hair. “Oh… you have a little fairy of your own. I wonder if the little god would appear for him?”

“There’s nobody here,” Tobias said, shrinking back into Saylee’s arms. “It’s that creepy lady,” he whispered loudly to Saylee.

Saylee nodded. “What are you doing here?” she asked suspiciously.

The woman bowed her head. “I came to see if the little god is here now,” she said, “but, alas, it seems not. Forgive me for trespassing upon your time.” She turned and walked back into the trees.

“Hey—” Saylee started to go after her, but there was a brief flash of pink and she was gone. “…Dammit. Why is everyone vanishing on me today?”

“ _We’re_ still here,” Tobias said, giving her a hug. Saylee smiled and hugged him back.

“Bugsy was sayin’ the path’s easy t’be findin’ past here,” Chip said, “but he was sayin’ it’d still be a couple o’ days t’Goldenrod, didn’t he?”

“He did,” Saylee agreed, shifting her bag strap. “Come on, then. We’ve still got a few hours of sunlight. Let’s see how far we can go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Name: Zarina. Species: Zubat. Nature: Serious. Ability: Inner Focus. Level: 5


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 11 
> 
> Deaths: 0

“Okay, we’re finally out of the woods,” Saylee sighed, relieved to see open grass and daylight. The forest had made for good training grounds, being dense with Zubat and Oddish, but it had also made it a tiring trek. The past three days had been busy and tiring, and all of Saylee’s Pokémon were lagging a little. Saylee had been about to return them all to their pokéballs for the night before spotting the exit. Holly alone was still energetic, having evolved that morning, and was floating around, happily spinning her big yellow flower. “Damn, it’s getting dark already… I didn’t notice, that place is so dark as it is…”

“Is that Goldenrod?” Tobias asked, pointing to the city that was rising out of the skyline in the distance. Saylee could see pinpricks of lights in the windows of the taller buildings, and by counting them she could tell that some buildings were over twenty stories high. They looked so small and distant, however, that Saylee estimated that it would still be two or three hours’ walk to get there.

“Maybe we should be pitchin’ camp for the night,” Chip suggested, echoing Saylee’s thoughts.

“Lyyyraaaaaaaaaaaa!”

“Ethan!” Saylee said in surprise as the boy came barrelling towards her, Marina on his heels. “What are you doing here?”

“My granny and granddad live here, and they sent their Fearow so I could come visit!” the boy said happily, grabbing Saylee’s hand to tug her off. “They run a daycare for Pokémon! I got Marina here when she was an Azurill!” He pointed at a high, white, wooden fence that was encircling a large area of grass and trees. A house was attached to the fence at one point, the back of the building in the enclosed area. There was a sign out front advertising the daycare service that Ethan had just mentioned.

“It was nice, but I didn’t have a lot of friends because everyone comes and goes,” Marina added. “But I get to see Granny and Grandad a lot since I live with Ethan!”

“Ethan, what’s all the fuss about?” an old man said, poking his head out of the door of the house. He was completely bald and peered at them through a thick pair of glasses. “Do you know this young lady? Ah, I see,” he chortled, winking at Saylee. “Is this charming girl your girlfriend?”

“ _Grandpa_!” Ethan complained, going bright red. Marina giggled at her trainer.

“Oh, how precocious,” Wendy tittered to Georgia. Ethan crossed his arms and went into a huff.

“I’m Lyra, and this is Toby, Chip, Mary, Holly, Wendy and Georgia,” Saylee said, indicating each of her team members in turn. They all waved and smiled when introduced. “We’re trying to head north… do you know how far it is to Goldenrod?”

“Oh, it’s still two or three hours if you’re walking,” Ethan’s grandpa said. Saylee’s Pokémon groaned. “Don’t worry, you’re all welcome to stay the night here. It’s getting late, and you’re Ethan’s friends. Stay!” He stepped back into the house and held the door open, waving them inside.

“Thank you,” Saylee said gratefully, following him inside. “We’d love to!”

{}

“I’ve been meaning to ask, Ethan…” Saylee asked over dinner, “who was that lady with you in Violet? The one in the traditional dress?”

“Miss Zuki?” Ethan said. “She said she was from Ecruteak and was in the area visiting someone when she saw a fairy!” He pointed at the door to the hallway.

Down the hall, Saylee’s Pokémon were eating in the huge nursery room with the Pokémon that Ethan’s grandparents were caring for. There just wasn’t room for any of them with Saylee and Ethan’s family; the kitchen, dining room and living room were all one little room, with a low table folding down out of the wall and onto the small square of floor between the television set into the wall across from the kitchenette. Saylee and Ethan were both sitting halfway into the hall to fit on one side of the table, with Ethan’s grandparents sitting with their backs to the kitchenette, half-watching the news on the TV.

Ethan’s granny turned the TV down and turned to Saylee. “A woman from Ecruteak in traditional dress?” she asked curiously. “Maybe she was a geisha!”

“Oooh, really?” Ethan said excitedly around a mouthful of pomeg. His granddad reached over with his fork, tapping his grandson under the chin to get him to close his mouth.

“What’s a geisha?” Saylee asked.

“Women’s cult,” Ethan’s grandpa chuckled, waving a napkin at Ethan.

“Now, now,” his wife chastised him. “They’re very beautiful women, all of them. They’re very strict about their dress and behaviour. They train for years behind closed doors, from when they’re little girls, before they debut as geisha. Got all these rituals and superstitions. They all make a living by putting on performances, plays and dancing and storytelling and suchlike. They can tell fortunes and give blessings and charms, too, and they’re very knowledgeable about fairy tales and myths. You could say they’re a type of priestess, since they’re said to perform services for the gods… but you know, I honestly don’t know what that entails, aside from their amazing Langnight dances. Well, they’re a secretive lot.”

“They said that Ethan was born in a lucky year,” Ethan’s grandpa added. “We’ve been to quite a few of their shows, and afterwards Ethan always gets good blessings and fortunes. His fortunes feature water a lot, so we thought he and Marina would be a good fit, and it turns out we were right!”

“I wanna train more water Pokémon, but dad won’t let me leave to be a trainer yet,” Ethan huffed.

“We promised we’d let you know if we got any abandoned water Pokémon that need a good home, Ethan,” his grandma said, “but you know, not that many people abandon their Pokémon, thank goodness. And, well, Goldenrod’s such a big city, there’s always someone up for adopting abandoned Pokémon!”

“That’s lovely,” Saylee said, smiling. “Um… can I borrow some paper and a pen after dinner? I’d like to write a letter.”

{}

“Who’re you wroitin’ to, moy love?” Georgia asked, trying to peer around Saylee’s arm. Wendy grabbed Georgia’s arm with her hind legs and tried to pull her away, shaking her head and muttering about rudeness. Georgia allowed herself to be towed away and waited patiently for Saylee’s response.

“My mum back in Kanto,” Saylee said. “I haven’t written home in a while… I owe her a letter.” She signed it and folded it up, writing her mother’s name on the front. “Hmm… now one to Chaz and your parents, I think, Toby. I’ll tell them all about how much stronger you’ve gotten.”

“Tell them all about everyone too!” Tobias insisted. “Chip an’ Mary an’ everyone! They’re our friends now!”

“You’re right,” Saylee said with a smile, beginning to write. “I bet Chaz’ll like to hear about you, Wendy. We never got to see Wilma evolve, after all…” the smile faded, but she didn’t stop writing. “Mary, Holly, Chip, none of your kind live in Kanto. Everyone’ll want to hear about you.”

“Ask about Brock too!” Tobias said. “Did I tell you? Pewter’s got the fossil cloning machine now! They asked Chaz for some of his DNA to try cloning Charmander, ‘cause Chaz’s one of the only Charizard left, but I dunno if he said yes!”

“Really?” Saylee said in surprise. “Wow… he’d kind of be a dad, then, wouldn’t he?” she grinned. “He’d make a great dad. I just hope they can find some other Char DNA… one Charizard is a pretty small gene pool.”

“What’s a gene pool?” Chip asked.

“Genes are what you get from your parents that make you _you_ ,” Saylee said, trying to figure out how to ask Chaz about the cloning. “You get your mother’s genes and your father’s and they mix up to make you. For example, my mother has blue eyes, and I got her blue eye gene, so I do too. But my big brother has red eyes, so he must have gotten them from our dad. And if you have a kid, then your child will have genes from you and genes from your mate, and they’ll mix up to make somebody entirely new. If I have a baby, they might have blue eyes, but their eyes might be the same colour as my husband’s instead…”

“If you marry Blue, you could have a baby with green eyes, right?” Tobias said brightly. Saylee dropped her pen.

“Well… yes, I could,” she said, scrabbling to pick the pen up and finish her letter. Georgia and Wendy exchanged looks.

“Who’s Blue then, moy love?” Georgia asked.

“Is he nice?” Wendy asked. “Good-looking? I’m sure I don’t know what passes for it in a human, but—”

“He’s a cocky, arrogant jerk who’s always trying to tell me what to do,” Saylee insisted. “And he’s kinda dumb when he’s angry, he’ll rush into stuff and get himself hurt, and he’s _always_ around even if I don’t want him to be, and he _always_ steals _all_ of the chesto berries…”

“He sounds like an awful person,” Holly said.

“He’s not!” Saylee said quickly. “I mean… he’s alright, sometimes, I guess. He can be kinda cool and he’s a good trainer, but that just inflates his big head even more, and we’ve known each other since we were kid so he knows all the best ways to annoy me—”

“Calm doon, dinnae panic,” Mary sniggered. “Ye never said if he’s a cute yin or naw…”

“Aaaargh…” Saylee thumped her head down onto the desk where she was writing the letter. She felt Chip brushing against her leg.

“If he’s bein’ your friend, Lee,” he said softly, sitting down next to her, “shouldn’t you be writin’ him a letter too?”

Saylee didn’t answer, opting to finish her letter to Chaz. Still, before she went to bed, she sent three letters to Pallet through the portpad, and a fourth with some money to Vera.

{}

Goldenrod was _huge_ , larger even than Saffron, or maybe it just looked that way due to the state of the buildings. There was not a pile of rubble nor a dilapidated shack to be seen. In Saffron, the skyline was dominated by the huge Silph building; perhaps once there had been other buildings as large, but now they were collapsed, in ruins.

In Goldenrod, there were dozens of multi-story buildings, and everything looked sleek and in good repair.

Saylee and Georgia both gaped. Ethan’s grandparents had warned her that a city ordinance permitted only one Pokémon trained for battle to be out of its pokéball at a time, and Saylee had selected Georgia because of the rumours of gangs hanging out in the underground shopping tunnel. Georgia was the least unusual or recognizable of her Pokémon, so if the gangs were Rocket, she’d be able to sneak back out unnoticed and get her Pokémon from Pallet.

Besides, she could do with some bonding time with Georgia. She got the distinct impression that the rock-type didn’t trust her, and it wasn’t without reason.

She decided to start by asking a police officer that she saw standing outside of a large concrete building in the middle of the city with the words “POLICE STATION” over the door. The man was wearing the same dark blue uniform as the police officer that had come to Professor Elm’s lab, and appeared to be on guard duty, standing at attention by the door with a Growlithe sitting by his ankle. The man had a golden, shield-shaped badge pinned to the front of his uniform, and the Growlithe had a similar shield hanging around its neck. Another shield was on the door, with the words “ _Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity_ ” carved into it. The shield was on the small police station in Cherrygrove, Saylee recalled, a building barely larger than a hut, and the larger building next to the school in Violet. The Johto police were a unified force, similar to the police officers in the Sevii Islands but, from the looks of it, with better resources and more manpower. The closest thing the Kanto mainland had to a police force was the trainers taught by Lt Surge, but they were relatively few in number and not particularly co-ordinated. 

“There’s your ‘gang’ right there,” the officer said when Saylee asked him, pointing to a gaggle of pale, skinny teenage boys sitting in front of the casino, drinking something out of a bottle in a paper bag. “They’ve done a few jail stints for mugging, but they’re all just a bunch of stupid kids.”

“Don’t let that paper bag fool you, I don’t smell any alcohol,” the Growlithe reported. “Smells like soda pop. Guess they think it makes them look grown up or something. Don’t even get why human adults drink alcohol, it just stinks and makes them act like idiots.”

“Those kids are idiots anyway,” the officer sighed, shaking his head. “Don’t hesitate to call on us if you have any problems while you’re here in the city, miss; though with a tough-looking Geodude like yours, I’m sure you’ll be fine.” He winked at Georgia.

“Excuse me, but what’s that?” Saylee pointed to the screen next to the police station door. Several faces were displayed on it, some photographs, some sketches. Saylee touched one sketch, of a man with green hair, and the image filled up the screen. Some details about dress and mannerisms appeared next to the picture.

“Wanted criminals,” the officer said. “I guess the smaller stations don’t have an update screen, huh? That one’s a nasty one. Held a whole town hostage by kidnapping their Slowpoke and… well, I’m sure you don’t want all the gory details.”

“My cousin Ger works in Azaela,” the Growlithe commented. “He was complaining about how hard it is to a get a scent track for that guy, what with all the rain. If you see him, miss, do us a favour and give us a call. Preferably somewhere dry.”

“I will, don’t worry,” Saylee said. “Thank you!” She took her leave, ignoring a few catcalls from the teenagers as she walked past them, heading for the nearest Underground entrance. They shut up when Georgia produced a large stone from somewhere and casually snapped it in half. “Nice to see how on the ball the police are here. So, since we have some free time, Ethan’s granny says there’s a really good salon down here. What do you say to some pampering?”

“Don’t sound ‘alf bad t’me!” Georgia said. “Too bad we din’t get a good foight, eh?”

“You make it sound like I _like_ getting into fights with lowlifes,” Saylee said, looking around. The Underground mall was brightly-lit, though slightly claustrophobic, with the ceiling only eight feet up and a fairly narrow concourse with shop fronts lining either side. They walked past an apothecary, a clothing store and a bargain store, peering through the plate-glass windows at the things on sale. “There we go! _Fabulous Brothers_ salon!” She negotiated a polish for Georgia and sat to watch while a young man with long purple hair in a ponytail started smoothing at the cracks and chips in Georgia’s hide with some kind of sand. His badge said “Hello, I am _FAB JR_!” so Saylee assumed that he was the younger of the Fabulous Brothers.

“Don’t loike gettin’ into foights, eh?” Georgia chuckled. “That whoi you do it all th’ toime?”

“I don’t like it, I’m just good at it,” Saylee said with a shrug. “Besides, if you think I’m good at it, you should meet Red. He could get pretty pissed off about people just complaining about or ignoring a problem. ‘If you just get up and deal with it, you could have it done in a fraction of the time you spend whining!’”

“That whoi you can never keep your nose out of business, is it?” Georgia asked.

“Does it bother you?” Saylee said cautiously. “I can take you home if you want. You don’t have to stay with me—”

“Oi know, you’ve said,” Georgia said, rolling her eyes. “A _lot_. If it’s all the same to you, oi’ll keep travellin’. Oi got me some good mates here, an’ oi quite loikes seein’ the above ground. Plenty o’ Pokémon go out with a trainer sooner or later; whoi do you keep assumin’ we don’t want to be with you?”

“It’s a long story,” Saylee said mournfully.

“You said you weren’t goin’ t’ keep things from us anymore,” Georgia said severely.

“I’m not—” Saylee looked around. The man who was polishing Georgia was away manicuring a Growlithe’s claws while he was waiting for Georgia’s polish to set. An older man with spiky purple hair was carefully grooming a Furret’s fur while its trainer chatted incessantly about a new TV show. The brightly-decorated salon was otherwise empty, and while it wasn’t large (though the huge mirror that covered one entire wall made it look twice the size), nobody was particularly near to Saylee and Georgia. “Call it inherited cultural guilt. Kanto got into _war_ between humans and Pokémon, did you know?”

“Oi did hear somethin’ loike that from ‘dudes comin’ through the mountains,” Georgia admitted. “’umans with no respect, they said. Lee, oi don’t doubt that you respect your Pokémon… oi just ain’t sure that you think of us as _yours_.”

“I just don’t want to get you involved…” Saylee said helplessly.

“You keep tellin’ us ‘bout danger,” Georgia said, placing her hand on Saylee’s arm. “We _seen_ danger in Azaela. An’ we’re still ‘ere. You ain’t makin’ that decision for us, alroight? An’ respect yourself a little more too, moy love.”

“What do you mean?” Saylee asked, taking the return of the endearment as a good sign.

“Stop fearin’ you’re goin’ to fail all the toime,” Georgia said, watching the groomer return. “That Silver lad moight be a damn good trainer, but there’s a reason you keep beatin’ ‘im.”

{}

“By the Birds… here too?!”

Saylee’d heard about the road from Violet to Goldenrod being blocked, but she hadn’t realized that it included the Goldenrod to Ecruteak road too. The road was completely blocked by what looked like a solid wall of trees, but no amount of fire from Chip did a thing to them. Saylee’s Pokédex told her they were Sudowoodo, a rock-type Pokémon.

“Wait… Frederick said something about them migrating,” Saylee muttered. “Just about the only thing that can piss them off or move them is water…”

“But none of us know water moves, do we?” Wendy asked. Saylee shook her head. They started to walk back to Goldenrod.

“Marina’s a water-type, though,” Chip pointed out. “We could be goin’ t’get her help…”

“We could go ask,” Saylee agreed, somewhat reluctantly. “Georgia, do you know anything about Sudowoodo? Like if they’re violent when roused?”

“Oi should think most folk would be,” Georgia said, “’specially since it looks like they’re goin’ into fall ‘oibernation. But it shouldn’t be much we can’t ‘andle, oi’m sure.”

“Hey! I smell flowers!” Holly said brightly, spinning her flower and drifting over a fence on the edge of the city. Saylee ran around it to find herself at a flower shop. They were near the edge of the city, so it was a small one-level building rather than the multi-story department stores that were all over the city centre. There was even a small garden in front of the shop, planted with neat arrays of brightly-coloured flowers.

 _People_ sell _flowers?_ Saylee thought in confusion, returning her other Pokémon before following Holly inside. Seeing the shop had reminded her of the city ordinance against multiple trained Pokémon per person. _Such nice flowers grow wild here…_

“Hello and welcome!” said a young woman as they walked it. She was pouring water over some potted flowers. Saylee revised her previous position; the flowers in the shop were in a range of vibrant colours that she’d never even _seen_ before and ranged in size from larger than Saylee’s head to impossibly tiny and delicate. They were arranged in pots and buckets all over the floor and in long trays on tables all over the room. There was a clear counter by the entrance, with a stool tucked under it. There was another table behind it, this one covered in wrapping paper, ribbons and little decorated cards. “Can I help you?”

“Mmmm, it smells nice,” Holly said, sitting on the edge of the flowerpot and stealing a drink from the woman’s watering can. “Ooooh! Tastes wonderful too!”

“It’s my special plant formula,” the woman laughed, tucking a few errant strands of auburn hair under her hairband. “Plants love it, so I’m not surprised that you do too.” She frowned. “My little sister tried watering that copse of trees blocking the road north with it, though, and she got attacked. Everyone’s staying away from the trees now…”

“I couldn’t borrow a can of that, could I?” Saylee said. “I’m quite a good trainer myself. If I could wake up those treelike Pokémon, I could drive them away.”

“Oh… my sister broke her arm, you know,” the shopkeeper said uncomfortably, quickly turning back to watering flowers. “I really don’t think I could in good conscience…”

“I have my Pokémon, I’ll be fine,” Saylee insisted, but her heart sank as the woman shook her head.

“Even Whitney’s scared to face them, and she’s the best trainer in Goldenrod!” the woman declared.

“ _Really_ ,” Saylee said thoughtfully. “Tell me, where can I find Whitney?”

“She’s the leader of the Pokémon club down the road,” the woman said, pointing out the door. “You can’t miss it. More pink than you’ve ever seen in your life even before you step inside the building.” Saylee nodded. She recalled the large, garish building quite vividly.

“Holly—” she said, and then sighed as she spotted Holly happily snuggled up among a bucket of flowers, fast asleep. “I don’t think I can bear to wake her…”

“When she wakes up, I’ll tell her where you’ve gone,” the woman offered.

“I won’t be gone long,” Saylee promised.

{}

“This is a social club for trainers of _cute_ Pokémon,” the girl said snootily. She was probably the same age as Saylee, but she was very flashily dressed and made up. He looked good, but the kinda of good that looked like it could be wiped off with a wet towel, and her blonde hair looked downright unnatural. She was cuddling and brushing the curls of a similarly snooty-looking Jigglypuff, pointedly only looking at Saylee out of the corner of its eyes as if she had crawled out of a puddle of slime.

“Toby,” Saylee said, letting him out of his pokéball, “why don’t you ask the lady if we can see Whitney?” She snuggled him securely in her arms.

“Can we, _please_?” Tobias asked, smiling sweetly at the girl. She melted on the spot.

“C’mon _in_!” She said, holding the door open. “Oh, isn’t he just _darling_? I’m sorry, I didn’t think you looked like you trained sweet Pokémon,” she added, eying the burnt patches on Saylee’s jacket and her heavy tights critically.

“I just like training Pokémon,” Saylee said, smiling thinly. “I heard Whitney was good. I’d like to battle her. Can I?”

“A fighter?” A girl of about fourteen said, hopping off of a couch where she and a friend were comparing Meowth. There were dozens of low, plush couches and beanbags spread across the room, around low tea tables and potted plants. The walls were bedecked with flowers and pink bows, and through the open-plan doors to other rooms, Saylee could see a similarly endless variety of pink décor and giggling girls clutching cute Pokémon. “Hey, not just _anybody_ gets to fight Whitney! You’ll have to go through us first!”

“Gladly.” Saylee released Wendy, making several of the girls scream and flee into other rooms.

“How very rude,” Wendy commented. The girl with the Meowth had stood her ground, though she was wrinkling her nose at Wendy.

“Well then,” Saylee said with a smile, “why don’t you use rock smash to teach them some manners?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know they’re called Kimono Girls in the game, but I’m calling them Geisha here because they so blatantly are. 
> 
> Also, I can’t believe I’ve made it this far into the game without a single death. On the other hand, I’m about to fight Whitney’s Miltank, Bringer of Doom and Destruction. I hate that thing, can you tell?


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 11 
> 
> Deaths: 0

“Well, aren’t _you_ good?”

“She certainly is,” Saylee said, patting Wendy on the back of the head as the huge insect buzzed back to her trainer’s side, leaving an unconscious Teddiursa in her wake. The Teddiursa’s trainer, a curly-haired girl with truly improbable-looking heels, scooped her Pokémon up and tottered over to a healing machine set into a flowery tea table. “Are you Whitney?”

“I am!” Whitney was probably older than Saylee, but dressed in a frilly white shirt and shorts that made her look several years younger, and it looked like wearing her shocking pink hair in pigtails was her _preferred_ style. The Clefairy at her heels was wearing hair accessories that matched her trainer’s. “So, you wanna earn a club badge, huh?”

“Anyone who beats Whitney gets a club badge and honorary membership,” the girl that Saylee had just beaten said, catching Saylee’s confused look. “They don’t get handed out often!”

“That’s right!” Whitney said smugly. “I might look cute, but don’t let that fool you! So, who are you?” She beckoned Saylee through another arched doorway to the largest room yet. This one had no couches, no tea tables, no potted plants, just a vast, clear expanse of pink-and-yellow chequered floor with a large purple flower design on the floor at either end of the room, about twenty metres apart. Whitney turned right and walked towards the flower at that end of the room. Saylee headed for the opposite flower.

“I’m Lyra,” Saylee said, “and this is Wendy and Toby. I’m here for a battle!”

“Lee, can I have a go?” Tobias begged. “Watching Wendy fight’s been _exciting_! I want a go! I think I can!” He hopped out of Saylee’s arms and ran forward to face Whitney’s Clefairy.

“He’s so _cute_!” Whitney squealed. “But that won’t stop us beating him! Doubleslap, Courtney!”

“Toby, use Metronome!” Saylee ordered, hoping for the best. Tobias had grown a lot stronger, but that didn’t help the unpredictability of metronome. He waved his hands and stood completely still as nothing happened. Courtney slapped him twice across the face. “Toby! Wendy, go take over for—”

“I’m fine!” Tobias yelled. “Just… a bit… NOW!”

Courtney had drawn back her arm to slap him again, but the blow never landed. She was blown backwards by a blast of golden-green energy. “Courtney!” Whitney cried. “What was _that_?”

“Solarbeam!” Saylee cheered. “Brilliant, Toby! Now finish her off with Extrasensory!”

Tobias’ eyes glowed purple. Courtney, struggling to her feet, wailed and keeled over again.

“I did it! I WON!” Tobias cried euphorically, jumping up and down on the spot. “My first big battle all by myself and I WON!”

“We saw,” Wendy said, flitting over to him. “Very well done, Tobias.” Tobias leapt on the spot again and kept on rising.

“Toby?” Saylee said, running over and trying to catch him in the air. Small wings unfolded, brushing past her fingers as she caught him. Tobias threw back his head to cheer and his neck stretched out. “Toby… I think you just evolved!”

Tobias peered down at himself and yelped in surprise. His whole body was now eggshell white, his shell itself gone. The red and blue patterns had remained as patterns on his fine down, something odd between fur and feathers. His neck was elongated, as were his arms and legs, and when Saylee let him go, two little white wings kept him aloft.

“Check it _out_!” He yelled excitedly, zooming around. “I can _fly_!”

“Look at you go!” Wendy said warmly as he flew in circles around her, laughing the whole way.

“How cool!” Whitney said excitedly, jumping up and down on the spot. Courtney had vanished, probably returned to her pokéball. “I wonder if it’ll help you beat Maci!” She flung out a Great Ball, revealing her second Pokémon.

Saylee recognized Miltank from the herd she’d seen on Boon Island. They were large and sturdy Pokémon whose milk had extraordinary healing capacities. Maci, however, was clearly a fighter rather than a farmer. She was larger and less fatty than most Miltank that Saylee had seen, and her horns were sharper and more prominent.

“I can take her!” Tobias said excitedly, flying forwards. “Let me go again!”

“No, Toby,” Saylee said gently, snatching him out of the air. “You’ve just evolved. We don’t know enough about what you can do yet. Just sit tight and let Wendy have first crack at this one, okay?” Wendy nodded and flew to the front.

“Rollout!” Whitney cried.

“Rock Smash!” Saylee countered.

Maci curled up and rolled towards Wendy. As she struck, Wendy smashed at her with one of her steel-hard stings. They passed each other, both looking a little worse for wear. Maci turned and rolled back at Wendy, faster this time. When the two clashed again, Maci was hurt again but Wendy was knocked out of the sky.

“Oooh, it doesn’t look like she can take another hit!” Whitney giggled. “And it just gets stronger every time!”

“Wendy, get back!” Saylee ordered. “Georgia, take over!” As Georgia materialized, she gasped at the sight of Wendy flying limply back to Saylee for healing. While she was looking at Wendy, the third powerful strike hit Georgia in the side.

Maci bounced off of the sturdy rock-type and barely left a scratch.

“What was that meant t’be, then?” Georgia asked, staring after her.

“Magnitude, now!” Saylee called. Georgia nodded, slamming her fists into the ground hard enough to shake the whole room. A couple of girls shrieked, and there was the sound of china breaking somewhere behind Saylee. Maci, in the middle of her fourth charge, wobbled off-course as the ground rumbled beneath her. She missed Georgia entirely, slamming hard into the wall instead.

“Finish it with Rock Throw!” Saylee commanded. Georgia immediately struck Maci with a vicious barrage of stones, not ceasing until the large Miltank was out cold.

“Brilliant! Well done, Georgia!” Saylee said happily as Georgia floated back over to them.

“’Ow you feelin’, moy love?” she said, watching Saylee spray potion onto Wendy’s bruises and slightly bent wing.

“Just fine, thank you,” Wendy said gratefully. “I am sorry that I couldn’t finish her myself.”

“Not a trouble, moy love,” Georgia said warmly. “An’ look at you, Toby! You are Toby, ain’t you?”

“I am! Check it out!” Tobias said proudly, spinning in the air in front of her. “Look! I can fly!”

“No, no, no, _no_ , _NO!”_

Saylee was shocked to see Whitney return Maci and launch into a tantrum. Fat tears were running down her cheeks while the girl stomped her foot and howled like a child.

“You meanie!” Whitney screamed, pointing at Saylee. “I HATE you!”

Saylee was taken aback. “How old _are_ you?”

“Get out, get out, get OUT!” Whitney sobbed, pointing in the direction of the door. “I HATE you, I hate you, I HATE YOU!”

The girls who had hung around to watch were all shaking their heads. One walked over to talk to Saylee. “This is Whitney’s club and she’s a really good trainer and all…” she sighed, “but she can be a bit of a baby when she loses.”

“How do I calm her down?” Saylee asked helplessly.

“We just wait for her to cry herself out, normally,” the girl said with a shrug. Whitney was now lying flat out on the floor, pounding it with her heels and fists and howling. “It can take an hour or two sometimes.”

“I’d rather not dawdle that long,” Saylee said, walking over to Whitney. She reached down to grab Whitney’s arm and hauled her to her feet, ignoring the girl’s indignant screech.

“Would you _wheesht_?” Saylee barked at her. Whitney was so startled that she stopped howling, falling into silent tears and hiccups. “Good lass. Okay, how old are you?”

“It’s her twentieth soon,” the girl from before supplied when Whitney seemed unlikely to speak. “We’re throwing a big party!”

“Twenty-year-olds don’t get to bawl like babies!” Saylee said sharply. “Grow _up_! Your Pokémon need to be taken to be healed properly right now, and so do mine, not left to lie while you throw a tantrum!”

“Well sor _ry_ ,” Whitney muttered sullenly. Saylee let her go.

“Tell that to your Pokémon, not me,” she said, holding out her hand. “Now, somebody said something about a badge?”

{}

“Oh, my!” the flower lady said delightedly when Saylee showed her the bright pin. “You beat Whitney!”

“Nearly got made the new club leader, too,” Saylee said, pinning the badge onto her bag strap next to the pass emblems from Falkner and Bugsy. The girls at the club hadn’t been able to stop squealing about how “cool” she was for being able to calm Whitney down, and she’d all but had to make Chip throw up a smokescreen to get away. “I’d ask again about the plant formula, but to be honest it’s getting pretty dark…”

“I know,” the woman sighed, looking outside. “I’m afraid that we’re just going to be getting less and less light for the next couple of months. Why don’t you stay here tonight? I’ve got some spare bedding, and…” she smiled at Holly, who was floating happily through the flowers, her own yellow petals brighter than ever. “Your Holly’s been telling me all about you, Lyra. My name’s Prim.”

“Nice to meet you,” Saylee said gratefully, shaking her hand. “If it’s not a bother…”

“It’s not,” Prim assured her. “It’ll be a boon, actually. Holly seems to love my flowers, and they love her back.”

{}

“Oh, damn… I’m no good at this,” Saylee sighed, reaching for an eraser to rub away her drawing. “I’m terrible at this. Red was always better at drawing than me. Professor Oak put some of his drawings of Pokémon in the Pokédex image archive…”

“What’re you tryin’ to draw?” Chip asked, peering over her arm.

“Toby,” Saylee said, pointing her pencil, through the door between the spare room and the shop, at the little white Pokémon flying happily around the room with Holly. Wendy was sipping at a bouquet of daisies while Georgia and Mary chatted about Tobias’ evolution. “I want to show his parents what he looks like now… they’ll be so proud of him.”

“They’ll git tae see ‘im soon enough, though, aye?” Mary said, looking over. “Soon as you find they Rockets, anyway…”

Saylee’s pokégear rang. “It’s Mr Pokémon,” Saylee said in surprise, picking it up. “Hello?”

“ _Ah, Saylee! Hope you don’t mind my call, my dear, but I’ve got a piece of news that may be of interest to you._ ”

“Shoot,” Saylee said, setting the phone between her shoulder and ear to hold it in place while she continued trying to draw Tobias. “Red or Rockets?”

“ _I’m afraid there’s still no sign of your brother, nor anyone resembling him. His Pokémon are rather distinctive, so unless he’s been hiding them…_ ”

“You’ve said,” Saylee sighed. “So, Rockets, then?”

“ _Possibly, possibly… well, you did ask about anything unusual_. _Anyway, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the sickness in the Olivine area is reaching epidemic proportions. It’s not natural, whatever it is. On top of that, something odd’s going on in the sea around that area… there’s a large influx of water Pokémon even as every other type is leaving the area. Might be worth checking into, eh?_ ”

“It might,” Saylee agreed. “Thanks a lot. I’m going to try to clear out that copse of Sudowoodo tomorrow, so that road shall be open soon.”

“ _Many thanks, my dear! I shall tell Frederick; it shall be nice for him to know that the path shall be clear before winter arrives. Safe travel!”_ He hung and Saylee shrugged to let the phone drop onto the bedding.

“So what’s goin’ on then, moy love?” Georgia asked.

“We’re going to Olivine as soon as the path’s clear,” Saylee said, giving up on the drawing and picking up her pokégear again to read the map. “We’ll head west from Ecruteak. It’s a few day’s travel, but…”

“Ma maw lives in Olivine!” Mary said happily. “Cannae wait tae show ‘er I’ve evolved!”

“I can’t wait to show Mummy and Daddy that I can _fly_ ,” Tobias happily. “Neither of them can fly! I’m like Chaz!”

“I looked up Togepi in the Pokédex,” Saylee told him, opening the little red device to show him. “It’s only really fairy tales and data it read on you, but it says that the name for flying Togepi is Togetic. Says you bring joy and happiness to good souls and can grant blessings and charms…”

“ _Cool_ ,” Tobias said, flitting around to look at the pictures. Most of them were from old storybooks, pictures of Togetic playing with children and protecting large groups of Togepi. “Mummy taught me some prayers and things, but they’re all for guiding the dead…”

“That’s very clever,” Wendy said. “Of course, I’m sure you shan’t need them.”

“I certainly hope not,” Saylee agreed, digging around to find her dreamcatcher to hang up.

“What is that?” Holly asked. “I saw you putting it away some mornings in the forest…”

“Just… things,” Saylee said, straightening the singed pink feather. “Talismans and mementoes. This spoon… it belonged to a Kadabra I trained. The coin was a Hypno, the feather… Pedro…”

“He was a Pidgeot, right?” Tobias said quietly. “Chaz still talks about him. I think he misses him.”

“I’m sure he does,” Saylee said, running a finger down the soft feather. “I still do.”

“They all bit it?” Mary said, looking at the objects. “I’m sorry. That’s a sin an’ a half.”

“It happens,” Saylee said, wrapping her arms around Chip and Tobias as they leaned against her for support. _But not to you. Never to you._

{}

“Oi! Wake up!” Mary shouted. When the Sudowoodo didn’t move or respond, she looked at Saylee and shook her head. “Nothin’ doin’. I had tae try.”

“Looks like we have to do this the hard way, then,” Saylee said, handing the watering can that Prim had given to them over to Tobias. “Just sprinkle them lightly. We don’t want to piss them off too much, just get them to move. But, well, if they do get pissed off…” she looked at Holly, Wendy and Georgia. “You three are the front line, got it?”

“Roight you are, moy love,” Georgia said, cracking her knuckles. Tobias flew up into the air and over the copse of Sudowoodo, sprinkling plant mix in his wake.

The effect was immediate. The Sudowoodo began to shudder, wailing and shaking at the touch of the mixture. Most of them began to move out of the way of the mix, wandering in among the thick, real trees that hemmed in the path, but the biggest would not move. Instead, it began to fling the bulbous green rocks that were masquerading as bunches of leaves at Tobias, trying to knock him and the watering can out of the sky.

“Toby!” Saylee shouted. “Holly, use Bullet Seed on the big one! Wendy, back her up with Rock Smash! Georgia, keep the rest moving with Magnitude!”

Georgia dodged around the big Sudowoodo, slamming her fists into the ground. Holly opened fire. The big Sudowoodo shook.

“Go a _way_!” he shouted, flinging rocks at her instead of Tobias. “Let us hibernate in peace!”

“We will once you hibernate somewhere else!” Saylee shouted. “You’re cutting off half the continent! People need to get through! Please just move!”

“Hell no! You attacked me!” he shouted, flinging rocks at Wendy and Holly as they attacked him again.

“No, we woke you up,” Wendy corrected him. “ _You_ attacked _us_ —AAH!”

“Wendy!” Saylee shouted as a rock knocked Wendy down. Her heart nearly stopped as the rock slammed into the ground, pinning Wendy’s wing.

“WENDY!” Georgia shouted, turning away from the fleeing copse of Sudowoodo and assaulting the leader. “You ain’t gettin’ away with that!” She grabbed the large Sudowoodo hard enough to wrench it right out of the ground and flung it away into the trees. She didn’t look to see where it had gone, but instead went straight over to Wendy to wrench the boulder off of her wing. “You alroight, moy dear?”

“I am sorry,” Wendy muttered as Saylee checked over her wing. “That’s the second time in as many days that you’ve come to my rescue…”

“Always will, moy dear,” Georgia said warmly. “T’ain’t nothin’.”

“Yes it is,” Wendy murmured weakly. “Thank you…”

“I’ll return you until we can get you to a clinic, Wendy,” Saylee said, holding out her pokéball. Wendy nodded, slumping over in Georgia’s arms just before vanishing.

“You got to be more careful with her, moy love,” Georgia said sternly to Saylee. “Bugs ain’t very tough.”

“Wendy is,” Saylee said, “but you’re right. She’ll be at her best against psychics or grass types. I’ll probably start keeping her in reserve for that.”

“Lee?” Chip called from between the trees. “I don’t think Wendy’s the only one needin’ medical help…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How in the name of Thor did I get past That Miltank without death? It was damn close with Wendy, but then Georgia rolled in and it was all over. Georgia’s generally the one I call in to cover for Wendy when unexpected rock moves happen or Rock Smash doesn’t work as well as I’d hoped. Actually, Georgia rescues Wendy a lot. It’s pretty awesome.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 12 
> 
> Deaths: 0

“Your Nidorino’s going to be alright,” the nurse told Saylee. “He got a little trampled, but Nidorino have very tough hides and he’ll heal up just fine.”

“Oh, he’s not mine,” Saylee said. “We found him after the stampede and brought him here for treatment. He’s wild. My Beedrill, though, how about her? Can I see her right now?”

“She’ll need a couple of days,” the nurse sighed. “She’s just coming out of reconstructive surgery on her wing right now. If it’s gone well, she’ll be out tomorrow evening.” He smiled. “It’s truly amazing, isn’t it, a Pokémon’s ability to heal?”

“Thank you so much,” Saylee said in relief. “I’m glad she’ll be okay. I’ll come back tomorrow, can I see her then?”

“Of course,” the nurse promised. “Now, I have to go check up on some of my other patients, so if you’ll excuse me…” he grabbed a clipboard off of the reception countertop and headed off. Saylee turned and headed across the lobby to the exit. The Goldenrod Pokémon clinic was larger than most, with a whole two floors of intensive care rooms and surgeries. Pokémon had such a capacity to heal that Pokémon clinics tended to be a fraction of the size of human hospitals and staffed predominantly by nurses.

Saylee stepped out of the door and released Chip. “Wendy and the Nidorino are going to be alright,” she told him. “We can pick Wendy up tomorrow evening.”

“That’s brill!” Chip said happily. “So what’ll we be doin’ ‘till then?”

“We’d better go ask Prim if we can stay here tonight,” Saylee said. “I feel bad about taking advantage of her hospitality for too long. We’ll take a break for tonight, but sometime tomorrow there’s someplace I need to check out,” she added with a growl.

“Where?” Chip asked, confused by Saylee’s dark tone.

{}

“It’s just a casino,” Saylee sighed in relief, looking over the selection of toys and gadgets available as prizes in the Goldenrod Game Corner.

“’Course it be,” Chip said, confused. “The folk outside was sayin’, weren’t they?”

“Yeah, well…” Saylee peered suspiciously under a couple of posters, ignoring the reproachful looks she was getting from the staff. “Let’s get going, then.”

“Goin’?” Chip asked, scurrying after her. “Don’t you want t’be stayin’ an’ playin’ awhiles?”

“Nah,” Saylee said, shaking her head. “Even if it is just a casino, it creeps me out a little.”

“Well, what else are we goin’ t’be doin’?” Chip asked as they strode down the streets of Goldenrod. “We done our trainin’ for today, Wendy an’ that Nidorino aren’t bein’ out ‘til t’night…”

 “Let’s go see how Holly’s doing,” she said, heading towards the flower shop again. Holly had been overjoyed to find out that they were staying in Goldenrod for a couple of days; she loved playing in the flower shop, and Prim loved her. It was midway through autumn, and her flowers had been ailing without Holly’s influence on them.  

“Look! Look!” Holly said brightly as they stepped inside, floating over with a bucket of flowers in her grip. “They really like me! I got them to make such pretty colours!”

“I’ve never seen daisies grow in that colour before,” Prim said with a smile, taking the bucket of purple blooms, “but I’ve never had a Skiploom around before. I’ve heard that they have a wonderful influence on flowers, but never like this…”

“It seems to be doing you some good, too,” Saylee said, reaching out to touch the scars that were still embedded in Holly’s side under her huge ears. “These are looking much better.”

“I like it here,” Holly said happily. She wilted a little. “Oh… but we’re leaving tomorrow, aren’t we? Once Wendy’s all better?”

“We are,” Saylee agreed, glancing at Chip, “but you could stay, if you want.”

“Really?” Holly couldn’t suppress a bright smile. “I’d love to… but… I’d miss you all… and I want to come fight Team Rocket with you, to be _strong_ …”

“Holly, you _are_ strong,” Saylee said, scooping Holly out of the air and into her arms. “You don’t have to be a fighter. Look at these beautiful flowers!”

“Winter is coming, yet you’re keeping them _alive_ ,” Prim agreed. “That’s an amazing power, Holly. If you want to stay here, I’d love to have you. I could really use your help.”

“You can decide tomorrow,” Saylee told Holly. “But you have nothing to prove to scum like Team Rocket, understand? _We_ think what you can do here is… beautiful.”

“An’ don’t we be matterin’ more than them wastes o’ air?” Chip asked. Holly nodded, snuggling into Saylee’s arms.

“…I’ll miss you,” she said quiely. Saylee kissed her on the forehead.

“We’ll miss you too,” she said. “But we’re friends. So we’ll see you again. When we do, you’ll have to show us all the beautiful flowers you’ve grown!”

{}

“Hold it! Where do you think you’re going without me?”

Saylee nearly tripped over the purple shape that ran past her ankles and skidded around to face her on the way out of Goldenrod. “You’re that Nidorino, aren’t you? Don’t you need to go home?”

“It’s Nider, and that ain’t exactly happenin’,” Nider said, tossing his head, “’cause my herd was runnin’ from those damn Sudowoodo and they’ll be long gone by now, balls if I know where. ‘Sides, I hate the alpha. Got his head so far up his own ass his horn’s coming out his mouth.”

“So… are you sayin’ you want t’be comin’ with us?” Chip asked in surprise.

“Sure, why not?” Nider said, looking from him to Saylee. “Not like I got a crapload of options, and you guys saved my ass. Plus, heard you tellin’ that Beedrill that you’re one down, so you’ve got some free space, am I right?”

“Well, I suppose if you really want to…” Saylee knelt down in front of him. “Nice to meet you, Nider. I’m Lyra and this is Chip. Before you come with us, there’s a few things that you have to know…” she glanced up at the sky. “We’ve got a couple of hours until sunset. Long enough to get to the park and get a campsite. I’ll tell you there.”

“Dunno if I’m meant to be worried or not by that,” Nider said, falling into step behind her.

“D’you mind bein’ stickin’ your nose into bad guys’ business t’be kickin’ their arses?” Chip asked.

“I like the kicking ass part,” Nider said with a grin.

“Then you’ll be _lovin’_ us.”

{}

The path to Goldenrod filled up pretty quickly once the Sudowoodo copse was gone, but the road to Ecruteak was less used and mainly travelled by single trainers. They were almost exclusively psychics and students going to study in Ecruteak, which Vera had said was famous for its historical and mythological records. It was also the religious centre of Johto; most of the country’s myths and legendary Pokémon originated from or were in some way connected with the area.

Most of the psychics going to Ecruteak were training to raise their powers in the hopes of proving their worth to such legendary Pokémon, so many of them challenged Saylee to battle. Anyone expecting an easy battle against a non-psychic was not counting on Wendy and her twinneedle.

“ _Word is that the monastery in Ecruteak’s calling for new novices,_ ” Vera told Saylee over the phone. “ _Apparently their scriptures have predicted…_ something _coming up soon. I don’t know what, they’re very secretive about that kind of thing. The monks at Bellsprout Tower think that all of the strange things that Mr Pokémon’s talking about, the migrations and epidemics, they’re a symptom of something that’s been building up since Psychic Ground Zero. Johto recovered from that fine for the most part, but I know I wasn’t the only person thinking that was just the opening act of something much bigger.”_

“That wasn’t caused by gods or magic or anything, though,” Saylee said softly. “That was people and the creations of people.”

“ _That’s not widely known, though. There’s enough records and archived reports to tell us that there was war in Kanto, but it’s still not really known what ended it and caused Psychic Ground Zero. A lot of people assume that divine intervention was involved.”_

“It wasn’t anything divine. It never is. Just people trying to play god, and Pokémon do it just as well. Where there’s trouble, there’s a cause, and it’s usually somebody getting greedy. Sooner or later, that somebody is Team Rocket.” Saylee sighed. “That’s one of the things that makes Red so hard to find. All I can hope for is that he hasn’t gotten any better at keeping out of trouble then me.”

_“Well, he never got to Giovanni like you did, but I remember that he still gave us a ton of trouble. When you’re following trouble, I’d say that odds are just as even for finding him as for finding Team Rocket.”_

“That’s all I want out of life right now,” Saylee said. She glanced at her Pokémon, gathered around Nider and bringing him up to speed on what they knew about Team Rocket. Nider seemed all for getting to beat people up with moral justification. “Actually, there’s one more thing I need, if you think you can find it…”

{}

“Ouch,” Chip said, wincing. “ _That_ must’ve been hurtin’, whatever it was.”

“What?” Saylee said, looking up from her breakfast. Chip pointed at the man who had limped into the dining hall of the Ecruteak Inn and started piling up toast for himself from the heated breakfast bar. Her eyes widened as she recognized the empty left sleeve and the bandaged eye. “Oh my goodness. Bill!”

“You know the guy?” Nider said, staring. “Damn, he looks like he’s been through the shit.”

“Don’t _stare_ at the poor man,” Wendy chastised him. “It’s _rude_.” Georgia, Mary and Tobias quickly looked back down at their breakfasts.

“Toby, go invite him to sit with us, will you?” Saylee said. “It’ll be nice to catch up. I didn’t know he’d come out here.”

Tobias set his bowl down on the table and flitted away across the large dining hall, flitting around or over the heads of the other diners scattered across the tables with their Pokémon. “Whit happened tae ‘im?” Mary asked, watching the Togetic go.

“Science,” Saylee said. “Seriously, try not to stare at his injuries, okay? An experiment went very wrong, his Clefairy died and he’s bloody lucky that he didn’t too. He’s also a good friend of mine, so be nice.” Everyone looked pointedly at Nider, who had proven himself incapable of resisting any opportunity to take the piss out of people.

“I’m eatin’, leave me alone,” he grumbled, digging back into his food.

Tobias flew back over, setting Bill’s plate down on the table across from Saylee. Bill peered curiously at her as he sat down. Saylee tipped up the brim of her hat and winked.

“I _thought_ it was you!” he said with a lopsided smile. “So, how’s the search going?”

“No sign of Red,” Saylee said, shaking her head, “but I ran into Team Rocket in Azaela Town. Just a small-time thing, a fundraiser. They’re around, though, I’m sure.”

A small Eevee trotted in holding a bowl of food in her mouth and settled down on the floor next to Bill. “Who’s this, Bill?” she asked, looking around at Saylee and her Pokémon.

“A friend of mine, and your father’s,” Bill told her. “Everyone, this is Eva. She’s Elric and Flo’s. Born about a month ago. She’s been a big help, and when I said I was coming back to Johto she wanted to come with.”

“Oh, wow!” Saylee reached down to ruffle Eva’s fur. The little Eevee preened in a way that was ridiculously reminiscent of Flo. “I can see the resemblance. Hi, sweetie!”

“Anyway, if you’re not having any leads to finding Red,” Bill said, carefully buttering his toast one-handedly, “you should ask Morty.”

“Who’s Morty?” Saylee asked, returning to her cereal.

“He’s the most powerful psychic around. He’s the master of a dojo here. He used to be a monk at Bell Tower, but he left about ten years ago. It hasn’t diminished his powers in the slightest. He can even see into the future.”

“Weren’t those weird ladies livin’ here too?”Chip asked. “Weren’t Ethan’s grandparents sayin’ they be livin’ here?”

“The Geisha?” Saylee said. “Oh, yeah… do you know anything about them, Bill?”

“Geisha?” Bill said in surprise between bites of toast. “Of course. My mother was one.”

“Wait, _really_?” Saylee stared suspiciously at him.

“A long time ago. She had to leave to marry my father, and never really completed her training,” Bill said, taken aback by her reaction. “Where did you meet them? They don’t normally leave Ecruteak much. Usually, people come to them.”

“Well then, there’s been an epidemic of itchy feet, because I’ve run into them twice now in weird places,” Saylee grumbled. “I’ve variously heard that they’re a cult, a religious order…”

“Entertainers, primarily,” Bill said, shaking his head. “Mother said that there were secrets to be learned once you became a full-fledged Geisha, but of course she never learned them…” He stood up, picking up his emptied plate. “Why don’t you come with me to their main house? It’s just a couple of streets away, and I believe it’s one of their show days. You can see for yourself.”

“I like the sound of that,” Saylee said, getting up and looking at her Pokémon. “Alright, guys. The law here’s the same as everywhere else; one fighter at a time. Chip, why don’t you walk with me?”

“Sure,” Chip said. Everyone else just shrugged or nodded as they were returned. Tobias looked a little sullen, but he always did when faced with the pokéball.

“This way, then,” Bill said, leading her out of the inn and bowing his head politely to the innkeeper on the way out.

“Your limp’s looking a lot better,” Saylee noted, also bowing to the innkeeper briefly. “You don’t need a cane to walk anymore.”

“No, I’ve gotten very comfortable with the new foot prosthetic Carrie made for me,” Bill said, walking along the streets of Ecruteak. It was a very pretty city, all traditional buildings with sloped tiled roofs in muted colours that perfectly matched the dull oranges and browns of the trees. Dry leaves littered the paths and crunched under their feet. “My sister thinks that the Pokémon cloning technology should be adapted for humans so I can have a new arm grown. Adapting the technology is an interesting thought, but the problem is how dead and mangled the nerves in my shoulder are. Even if a new arm was grown, it could never be attached…”

“Too bad,” Saylee said uncomfortably. Bill seemed fairly blasé about his injuries, but she still couldn’t forget his nightmarishly deformed appearance, all the _blood…_

Then again, it could have been worse. For his Clefairy, it had been.

“Hey, Lee?” Chip asked. “I like bein’ out an’ all, but should you not be havin’ Nider around? He’s new, after all, you ought t’be getting’ to know ‘im…”

“I know, but…” Saylee frowned. “It’s probably prejudiced, but I don’t think I’d feel… _safe_ , having him out on his own. I’d want you or Georgia out as well.”

“Why?” Chip asked, frowning. “I mean, I know how he’s bein’ kind of a jerk, but ‘e wouldn’t be _hurtin’_ you…”

“I know that,” Saylee insisted. Bill and Eva were both looking confused. “It’s just… Blue’s parents were killed by a starving herd of wild Nidorino, okay? I didn’t _see_ it, but I remember Mum grabbing Red and I and _running_ from them…”

“Oh, my goodness,” Bill murmured, reaching around a little awkwardly to pat her on the shoulder. “I didn’t realize… I wondered why Blue and Daisy’s parents weren’t around, but I could never figure out how to ask…”

“It’s a little bit of a touchy subject,” Saylee warned him. “We were just little at the time, but Blue saw… the beginning of it…” she shook her head. “Don’t tell him I told you. He was actually kind of scared of Pokémon for years, until he started training with Sam. And he only did that because—“

She was cut off by a cry of rage, followed by a scream of pain.

“What on earth is that?” Bill said, limping quickly towards a large, elegantly decorated building. “It’s coming from the main house!”

“Of course they live _here_ ,” Saylee muttered, pushing open a gilded door. “Bill, you’re disabled and Eva’s a baby. Both of you should stay out here. I’ll deal with it.”

“You will, won’t you,” Bill said, reaching down to pick up Eva. “We’ll go find the police. There are some in this town somewhere, I’m sure…” Once he’d limped off, Saylee ran inside, Chip at her heels.

“C’mon, I’m a paying customer! Gimme a hula dance or something!”

“Please do not force such a request on me…”

Saylee could swear that the woman on the stage was the same woman who had been following her; same pattern of dress, same heavy makeup and hairstyle. A man in an infuriatingly familiar black uniform was shaking her by the wrist and leering at her, while his Koffing belched poisonous gas at anyone else who tried to get up on the stage. An elderly man was already unconscious on the ground. A group of people were tending to him, throwing dirty looks at the Rocket but clearly too scared to actually attack him.

“Nider,” Saylee muttered, releasing him and keeping her gaze on the Rocket in case he noticed. He didn’t, too distracted by trying to pull the Geisha into dancing with him. “You don’t get poisoned, do you?”

“’Course not,” Nider said indignantly. “What do I look like, a Rattata?”

“Then go kick the guy in black.” Saylee started edging around the wall towards the stage. The Geisha’s face wrinkled in disgust as the Rocket succeeded in pulling her close. “Not too hard, just enough to make him let go of her. Once that Koffing’s distracted, Chip, Flame Wheel might be a good idea.”

“Sure,” Chip said, flaring up.

“Hey, ugly!” Nider shouted, running onto the stage. The Rocket glared at him. “Ha! You looked!”

The Geisha stamped hard on the Rocket’s foot with one of her heavy wooden sandals. He pushed her back with a shout of rage, which became a yell of pain as Nider kicked him hard on the backs of his knees. He crumpled onto the stage.

“You little— what are you just staring at, get him!” He yelled angrily, pointing at Nider. His Koffing turned to face Nider. As soon as it did, it was struck on the back by a rolling wheel of fire.

“Dammit!” The Rocket yelled, staggering to his feet. “I can’t be wasting time here in this shitty dive anyway! Later, losers!”

“Oh no you _don’t_ —“ Nider growled, leaping at the man, but the Rocket dropped a smokebomb. When everyone could see again, a sliding window was open and the man was gone. “Well, dammit.”

“Sorry, Lee,” Chip said, climbing onto the stage and rolling the singed Koffing face-up. “He got away.”

“That’s okay,” Saylee said, walking towards the stage herself. “Are you alright, ma’am?”

“Thank you for driving away that foul man,” the Geisha said, smoothing her dress. “He did not even care to rescue his own Pokémon.” She looked sadly down at the charred Koffing lying on the stage.

“He… left me… behind?” The Koffing coughed piteously. She sounded female.

“What’s your name?” Saylee asked gently, kneeling next to her.

“Ki… Kiara…” Kiara sucked in a deep breath, sucking traces of her own gases out of the air to rejuvenate herself.

“Well, Kiara, I’m Lyra,” Saylee said, pulling a pokéball out of her pocket. “And I’m going to send you to someone who’ll look after you.” She tapped the pokéball on Kiaara’s head and the weakened Pokémon was captured immediately. Saylee flipped open her Pokédex and put Kiara’s pokéball onto the portpad.

“…strong, and kind too…”

“… _really_ knows what to look for…”

Saylee spun around. The Geisha was standing by the sliding door at the back of the stage, watching Saylee with a smile. Saylee could swear that she’d heard her whispering to someone, but nobody seemed to be there.

“By the way, what were you doing there?” Saylee asked suspiciously. “In Violet City and Ilex Forest?”

The Geisha frowned in confusion. “I do not understand. I have been here in Ecruteak all month…”

“Thank you so much for driving that thug away!” the theatre crowd surrounded Saylee, Chip and Nider, thanking and congratulating them. Saylee craned over their heads to see that there was no sign of the geisha anywhere in the dance hall. She wasn’t on the polished wooden stage, and with the patrons of the dance hall now crowding the stage the audience floor was just a mess of painted silk cushions on tatami flooring. The walls were hung with red sashes matching the missing geisha’s obi.

“Hey, where’d she go?” Saylee asked, looking around.

“Oh, she’ll have gone back into the house,” a woman sighed. “It must have been quite an ordeal for the poor girl, having her performance disrupted like that…”

“Poor girl nothin’,” Nider muttered. “I think she kicked him harder than I did.” Saylee nodded slightly.

“I’d like to go back and see her, if that’s alright…” she said, starting towards the door. Everyone immediately moved to stand in her way.

“I’m very sorry, but you just _can’t_ go back there,” one man insisted. “You can’t possibly trespass in their house, in the okiya! It’s a secret place, a sanctuary!”

“You could be cursed,” a woman agreed. “Don’t do it, we beg of you.”

“…Fine,” Saylee sighed as police officers ran into the building. “You took your time!”

{}

The police continued to take their time getting full statements from Saylee and the rest of the witnesses before letting them go. Saylee hadn’t managed to gain access to the okiya—even the officers were reluctant to tread there and seemed to agree that waiting for one of the women to surface was the best course—but she had managed to learn that Morty had been seen going into the Burned Tower.

“Is that it?” Chip said, pointing to the charred husk of a building that still succeeded in towering over most of the rest of the town, taller than every building save one still very complete and extremely tall tower. It looked like both towers had once been the same, level after level of dark wood fringed with sloping roofs, but one was now reduced to one and a half blackened floors.

“What tipped you off?” Nider asked sarcastically.

“Even if we haven’t found out what those Geisha are up to, we can still try talking to this psychic,” Saylee said, starting up the steps to the tower.

“How’re you knowin’ those ladies’re bein’ up to anything?” Chip said timidly. “I mean, there are holy places in Violet and Ilex, maybe they were bein’ there for… I dunno, prayer, somethin’…”

“Been in Ecruteak all month,” Saylee muttered. “I said I’d seen her in Violet City and Ilex Forest, but I never said _when…_ so how did she know when she wasn’t there?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kiara’s from the Burned Tower, not the dance hall, for obvious reasons.
> 
> Name: Kiara. Species: Koffing. Nature: Adamant. Ability: Levitate. Level: 14


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 14 
> 
> Deaths: 0

“This place does not look safe at _all_ ,” Saylee muttered with a frown, picking her way up the fire-damaged, crumbling wooden steps into the Burned Tower. More than one groaned under her feet. “What’s Morty doing here?”

Shapes of light spotted the floor from holes in the caved-in ceiling. Blackened wooden beams lay in piles all over the floor, too big to burn into ash like most of the tower. Huge drifts of black ash were all over the place, coating everything and floating into the air whenever Saylee moved, some of it turned to thick patches of black sludge by rainwater over innumerable years. Most of the middle of the floor was gone entirely, causing Saylee, Chip and Nider to walk _carefully_ along the remaining floor around the walls.

“What was this place, anyway?” Chip asked, looking around.

“I’m gonna guess a tower,” Nider said, poking curiously at a few fallen beams with his horn. A small pile of stone fragments collapsed, hitting Saylee in the knee. She tripped, but a white-gloved hand caught her.

“Do be careful, miss,” a man said smoothly. “This place is treacherous.”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, straightening up. The man looked a little under thirty and was very formally dressed, with slicked-back brown hair, a purple suit and a white cape. “Are you Morty?” she asked, wondering if _weird_ was how most psychics looked. Aside from the fact that he was wearing a snow-white cape— _Who wears a_ cape? _Aside from Lance, and he’s crazy_ —his gloves were still pristine white, despite Saylee’s hand being nearly black from the ash and dust inside of the tower. It was kind of creepy.

“Oh, no!” The man laughed, bowing elegantly and then straightening up with a dramatic swish of his cape. “I am the fabulous Eusine, seeker of the beautiful Suicune! You see, I suspect that it may recently have returned here, where it was born, but…” he sighed heavily. “Alas, every time I approach it, away it flees. It is too fast to be caught! Oh, what to do…”

“I have no idea,” Saylee said, completely honestly. Chip and Nider were both staring at Eusine in confused fascination.

“Never mind Eusine, he’s a bit obsessed,” said another man as he appeared out of the gloom. He was tall, blond and also well-dressed in white pants and a purple jumper. His headband and scarf bore matching purple-and-red patterns.

“Are _you_ Morty?” Nider asked. “Or is there a whole freak convention in town?”

“Nider…” Saylee frowned at him. “Don’t be rude.”

“I am Morty,” Morty said, graciously ignoring Nider. “Are you here with the little red-haired boy?”

“I… wait, Silver’s here?” Saylee said in surprise. “On his _own_? This place is dangerous!” She looked around the gloomy tower, trying to spot a flash of red.

“He went that way,” Morty said, pointing. “I was just about to go follow him, but I wanted to come back and get Eusine to come with me… it’s not safe at all. You shouldn’t have let your little brother run off alone like that.”

“My… yeah, I shouldn’t,” Saylee agreed, unable to come up with a quick alternative explanation for how she knew Silver and why she was worried about him. “Listen, there’s something I’d like to ask you about later—something I’d like you to find…”

“You’re welcome to come by my dojo,” Morty said with a smile. “It’s just to the south of the okiya.”

“Thanks,” Saylee said, hurrying off.

“They was _weird_ ,” Chip whispered, glancing at the two men who were now talking to one another in hushed tones. Saylee nodded.

“Didn’t know you had a little brother,” Nider said curiously.

“I don’t,” Saylee said. “Silver’s just this weird, troubled kid I keep running into… I don’t know why Morty assumed he was related to me. I’ll have to ask him later.”

“You were sayin’ he’s a psychic, right?” Chip said. “He might’ve been hearin’ you thinkin’ about findin’ your brother or somethin’, an’ when you were sayin’ you knew Silver he thought you were meanin’…”

“Fair enough, but still, it’s not like we even look alike… Silver! There you are!”

She’d spotted the boy in question crouching on the edge of the gap in the floor, peering down with an unusually childish expression of wide-eyed curiosity. It changed to a dark scowl when he looked up at Saylee. A Magnemite was floating over his shoulder, and imitated its trainer’s glare.

“Oh, it’s _you_ ,” he said sourly. “What’re _you_ doing here, liar?” He stood up and crossed his arms. His Magnemite crackled threateningly.

“Looking for you,” Saylee said, holding out her hand. “Come away from there, Silver. It’s not safe.”

“Don’t you tell me what to do!” Silver shouted angrily. “I don’t need you or _anyone_! I’m just _fine_ on my own! I’m plenty strong, and I’ll _prove_ it! Go!” He released his Gastly, who floated in the air in front of Saylee.

“Silver, calm down,” Saylee said, motioning for Chip and Nider to step back. “We don’t need to fight—“

“Yes we do!” Silver insisted. “I’ll prove it here, and I bet the Legendary Beasts’ll see! They’ll know that I’m strong, and that you’re _weak_ like Team Rocket!”

“Will you fight or not?” The Gastly said, a nasty grin spreading as he looked from Chip to Nider.

“Toby will,” Saylee said, calling out her Togetic. He floated safely above the ground, frowning when he spotted Silver and his Gastly.

“This again?” Tobias lamented.

“I’m afraid so,” Saylee sighed. “Extrasensory.”

“Curse!” Silver ordered. The Gastly’s eyes began to glow a fraction of a second before Tobias’ did. The Gastly gave a shuddering cry and drooped, sinking towards the floor. At the same time, however, Tobias also gave a wail and fell out of the air.

“Toby!” Saylee cried, diving to catch him. The wood under her feet creaked in protest at the sudden movement, but she didn’t notice. Tobias was shivering and whimpering.

“Gastly’s curse just keeps going,” Silver said smugly, returning his Gastly.

“Silver, ghost curses are not something you can just play around with like that!” Saylee shouted, returning Tobias and relieved that his pokéball would take him back at all. “They’re _dangerous_! That ghost is too dangerous for a kid like—“

“I’m not just some kid!” Silver shouted back. “I’m strong! I can handle it! You, get her! Supersonic!” His Magnemite immediately began sparking and floating towards Saylee, wailing horribly.

“Chip!” Saylee called, pressing her hands to her ears and wincing. Chip leapt in front of her, his back and head flaring up. “Flame Wheel!”

“Okay!” Chip said, flaring up even more and then flicking his whole body forwards, sending a wheel of fire rolling through the air towards the noisy foe. The Magnemite gave a metallic screech and fell heavily to the ground with a _crack_. A small chunk of floorboard fell away, but the floor mostly held.

“Silver, this is dangerous in here,” Saylee said, eyeing the floor nervously. “We need to go outside—“

“Running away, huh?” Silver sneered, returning his Magnemite to a pokéball and letting out his noticeably larger Zubat. “Bite ‘em!”

“Thundershock!” Saylee ordered as she released Mary. Chip nervously bolted back onto more solid floor as Mary appeared and zapped the Zubat.

“This wean again?” she said as Silver returned his Zubat, seething. “Whit’s ‘is problem?”

“ _Your_ problem is that you’ve gotta fight my very strongest Pokémon now!” Silver raged. “Tyra! Ice Fang!”

“Thundershock again!” Saylee ordered. Mary zapped Tyra, but the tough Croconaw managed to handle it long enough to sink her jaws into Mary’s shoulder. The pair of them went crashing to the ground with Mary’s wool beginning to ice over. The ground shook.

There was a _crack_ and the ground under Tyra’s feet fell away. Silver’s expression went from rage to shock as he found himself falling into space.

“Silver!”

{}

“Ow, ow, _ow_ ,” Tyra yelped. “Stop _zapping_ me already!”

“S’no ma fault you’re so damp,” Mary said, struggling to hold onto Tyra’s slippery hand. “Stop yankin’ at ma wool! Chip, huv ye got a grip?”

“Aye, yeah,” Chip mumbled. He was holding onto Mary’s legs and struggling to pull her up enough to get some purchase so they could pull Tyra up together. “C’mon… c’mon… _there!_ ”

Mary felt her back feet hit wood and began to haul herself up. Chip leaned past her to grab Tyra’s other hand and pull her up.  The moment the three of them were on floor they quickly skittered away from the edge. Tyra looked around in a panic.

“Silver!” she called. “ _Silver_!”

“They both went over the edge,” Nider said, peering into the gloom below. “Lee went after him. We’ve gotta find another way down…”

“This wouldnae huv happened if your bloody stupit trainer hadnae picked a fight in a bloody stupit place,” Mary snapped as they edged around the hole in the floor.

“Shut it,” Tyra snarled. “He’s just a kid, but he’s a really good trainer.”

“But he’s so _mean_ , Tyra,” Chip complained. “He doesn’t even have the knowin’ o’ anyone’s name but yours. Why d’you be stayin’ with ‘im?”

“He’s just mean because he hates your stupid lying trainer!” Tyra snapped. “He’s really just… kinda sad and angry. But no matter how mad he gets or if he calls us weak, he doesn’t abandon us. He won’t.”

“Why _is_ he bein’ so mad at Lee?” Chip asked tentatively.

“I… don’t really know,” Tyra admitted, sagging. “Silver doesn’t have any family anymore, and it’s all _her_ fault. He just won’t say why. Won’t say much about it at all. Keeps a lot of secrets, you know?”

“Aye, so does Lee,” Mary said with a shrug. “Lots ae humans dae that. No’ a very honest lot, really, are they?”

“They be pretty weird,” Chip agreed. “But still… I’m happy I’m bein’ with Lee. Tyra? I just got t’be knowin’… are you happy with Silver?”

“If I left him, I think I’d be very _un_ happy with myself,” Tyra said, looking down into the gloom. “I hope he’s alright.”

{}

Saylee’s whole body felt like one big bruise. At least the fall hadn’t been too far, and she’d had the sense to roll when she hit the ground. She’d managed to catch Silver too. The kid was tucked safely under her arms. She could feel him trembling in fright.

Under the baggy clothes, he was so _skinny_. Was he getting enough to eat? For that matter, the oversized black jumper and purple trousers were the same ones he always wore. Saylee could feel the grime on them even under the dust coating her hands.

“Are you okay?” Saylee asked, wincing as she sat up. Silver nodded, then remembered himself and knocked her arms away.

“I’m fine! Let me go!” he snarled, pushing himself to his feet and stepping back. “I don’t need you!”

“You’re welcome,” Saylee muttered, brushing herself off to get rid of some of the grime. Nothing felt broken, just bruised, and Silver was clenching his fists and stamping his foot, so he seemed mostly alright.

“I mean it! I hate you!” Silver shouted angrily. “You make me look weak!”

 _Well, if he can shout like that, he doesn’t have any damaged ribs…_ “Actually, you’re a really strong trainer for a kid your age,” Saylee said, pulling her glasses off and wiping off the ash. The gloom got a bit less murky when she put them back on. “I mean, how old are you? Nine?”

“Very nearly ten, _actually_ ,” Silver corrected her pointedly. Saylee laughed.

“Sorry, sorry…” she giggled at Silver’s livid look. “But you really are good. Tyra’s grown really fast, and so has your Zubat and Gastly… honestly, I’ve never seen a ghost that controlled, that much with a sense of self. That he lets you control him… you know, with your talent you could apprentice yourself to any of the dojos in this country and you could rise to master in no time. Why don’t you? What are you looking for?”

“I’m gonna find my dad!” Silver shouted. “He left because of _you_ , and then Mum did too! I’m gonna find him and show him that I’m strong and I don’t need him or her or you or ANYBODY!”

His shouts echoed around the room. Something stirred in the dark. All the rage left Silver’s face as he stared at _something_ over Saylee’s shoulder.

Saylee turned around and saw something glowing in the dark—no, _three_ somethings glowing red, blue and yellow. The three glows grew in size and brightness and began to mingle, causing auroras in every colour of the rainbow to dance around the room.

Three dark shapes were silhouetted within the lights. Six glowing pinprick eyes stared back at the two humans.

Saylee glanced back at Silver. He was staring at the lights, transfixed, his awe making him look far younger than his rage. He reached a hand out to the lights.

“Suicune! At last!”

Saylee looked up to see Eusine floating down with a Jumpluff, absolute joy on his face. At his shout, however, the three lights shot up into the air, blasting up through the damaged remnants of the roof and flying away.

“No!” Silver cried out as darkness fell. “You _idiot_! You scared them away!”

“Are you two alright?” Morty asked, floating down to them. He was wrapped in a purple light which separated from him when he touched the ground and became, to Saylee’s shock, a Haunter. “Your Pokémon are very worried about you. I promised that I’d come find you.”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, accepting the hand he offered to pull her to her feet. “We’re fine. What _was_ that?”

“The glorious Suicune, and the slightly less glorious Entei and Raikou!” Eusine sang happily. “They escaped me, but just to see them is a blessing and a joy!” He yelped when Silver shoved him.

“Why did you have to come down here?” Silver shouted angrily. “You _ruined_ it! They—PUT ME DOWN!”

“Come, we must ascend!” Eusine laughed, holding the struggling Silver under one arm and gripping his Jumpluff’s ankle again with the other. “Up and away, Herrena!”

“Shall we?” Morty said, offering Saylee his hand again as Eusine and Silver drifted upwards. Saylee looked nervously at his Haunter.

“He shouldn’t still be here, should he?” she asked warily. “I mean… the only ghosts I’ve ever seen before have been so _angry_.”

“Most of them are,” Morty said with a nod. “There are many means to calm them. Burying their remains in sanctified ground is favourite, but…”

“I have none,” his Haunter said calmly. “I do not yet feel… _tired_ enough to rest. To fight with Morty helps me rest. I promise that I shall do you no ill.”

“Okay then,” Saylee said, taking Morty’s hand, unable to help a squeak of surprise as the Haunter flew _into_ them, making them weightless. It didn’t hurt her, though, just made her feel cold as she was floated up to where her Pokémon were waiting.

Cold, and just a little bit sad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve had a lot of comments on earlier chapters featuring Silver talking about what a jerk he is and how mean he is… well, there’s a reason a person gets like that, especially a little kid. Here’s the first little peek at what those reasons might be. (Anyone who did the Celebi event in HGSS can probably guess where this subplot is going, but there’s more to it here.)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 14 
> 
> Deaths: 0

“Your Tobias will be fine,” Morty said with a smile, handing the pokéball across the table to Saylee.”The curse has already dispelled, likely when he disincorporated to go into his pokéball.”

“Thank goodness,” Saylee sighed, hugging Tobias’ pokéball. Mary and Chip exchanged relieved looks.

“I am only sorry that I let your little brother slip away,” Eusine said apologetically.

“It’s okay,” Saylee said, tapping her pokégear. “Mum found him.” While it was true that she’d made some calls to both Vera and Bill, asking them to keep a watch out for news of a boy with red hair, he seemed to have vanished into the ether again. The kid was better at flying under the radar than most of Team Rocket. Saylee was somewhat nervous of lying around Morty, but he seemed to be a different kind of psychic to Sabrina. He hadn’t called her out on giving a false name or for going along with the story that Silver was her brother. Either he couldn’t hear thoughts, or he just didn’t care.

“You are very lucky to have a Togetic,” Morty said. “They’re awfully rare. Many people don’t even think they exist.”

“Not as rare as what I saw in that ruin, I’ll bet,” Saylee said, looking up at the paintings that adorned the walls of the dimly-lit dojo where Eusine, Morty and Morty’s disciples lived. The paintings were old, the colours faded, but nevertheless they seemed to glow with vibrant energy. Three in particular had caught her eye. One depicted a blue four-legged creature running across ocean waves. The second showed a similar red creature running down an exploding volcano. The third portrayed a yellow creature being chased by lightning. Saylee couldn’t decide if they looked more feline or canine, but whatever they were they did look familiar.

“Yes, I believe that they are what we saw today,” Morty agreed when he caught her staring. “Suicune, Entei and Raikou. The Legendary Beasts, servants of Ho-oh. Eusine first came here ten years ago when he saw Suicune running this way.” He grinned at Eusine.

“It was very beautiful!” Eusine enthused. “Stunning, the way Suicune soared across land and sea! I was entranced! It was truly a sight to behold! For many years I have sought out Suicune, longing to prove myself to it…”

“That wean said you scared it aff,” Mary pointed out. Eusine’s face fell.

“They say that children can see what others cannot,” Morty chuckled, patting Eusine’s hand consolingly. “Cheer up. They will no doubt be more active now that the time of Ho-oh’s descent approaches…”

“Now what now?” Saylee asked. Morty gestured to the engravings above and below the paintings. The upper, engraved in gold, showed some kind of huge bird against the sun, while the bottom depicted a strange dragonlike creature, carved in silver and silhouetted against the full moon. In the flickering light of the candles, the pair seemed to fly.

“The golden one is Ho-oh, god of death and rebirth,” Morty explained. “Long ago, it lived atop the Bell Tower that still stands. Thirty-five hundred years ago, when Lugia flew into a rage and destroyed the city in a storm, three unknown Pokémon perished in the Brass Tower when it burned. Ho-oh restored and remade them as Suicune, Entei and Raikou, and now they serve Ho-oh. One day soon, Ho-oh will return and choose a worthy human…”

“Morty has trained his entirely life to be that worthy human,” Eusine said excitedly, waving elaborately at Morty. “He has cared for the restless dead and trained his psychic abilities… as you saw in the Burned Tower, he is very good at finding what is lost, and can see something of the future too!”

“Mere psychic ability is not enough to be worthy of Ho-oh,” Morty said, smiling. “I must also be warrior and trainer enough to be worthy. You are a trainer yourself, Lyra; would you like to have a battle tomorrow? It’s awfully late now.”

“A battle?” Saylee said, looking around a touch nervously. “You use ghosts, don’t you?”

“Only they who wish to be used,” Morty promised her. “And I promise you, we are as strong in the sunlight as we are in the dark. We have no need to hide in shadows.”

“You’re on, then,” Saylee said, standing up and stepping back from the low traditional table. Chip and Nider got up to follow her. “Well, guys, we’d better go find somewhere to stay. We’ve got a battle tomorrow…”

“But of course you are welcome to stay here!” Eusine insisted. “You are now a challenger of Morty’s. Of course we must offer you our hospitality!”

“Our home is yours, Lyra,” Morty said, nodding. “There are a number of disciples’ rooms down the corridor to your left. Nobody is in the end three. You are welcome to take your pick.”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, bowing to the men. “I’ll see you in the morning, then.” She could faintly hear Morty and Eusine talking to one another in hushed tones again as she walked down the corridor, counting doors.

“Think wraiths are gaunnae jump oot on us in oor kip?” Mary said, leaping at Chip. “BOO!”

“Leave me alone,” Chip muttered, jumping away from her. Mary just grinned, lighting her tail and leading them down the corridor. Saylee looked around, counting doors.

 “That one,” Saylee said, picking the one second from the end. It was a neat, bare little room with a sleeping pallet against one wall, a sink and a water closet in the corner. There were a few hooks by the door on which Saylee hung her coat, hat and bag. She then released Nider, Georgia, Wendy and Tobias.

“Ooh, where are we now?” Tobias said, looking around curiously. “What happened to Silver?”

“Oh, did you meet that child again?” Wendy asked. “Whatever happened?”

“He ran off again,” Saylee said, digging her hairbrush out of her bag and pulling her hair out of her pigtails. “We’re staying at… well, they call it a dojo, but it’s sort of a temple too. Full of people training to soothe ghosts.”

“Really?” Tobias said excitedly. “Oooh, I can feel them! There’s _tons_ of ghosts here!” He frowned. “Wait. That’s a bad thing…”

“From the look ae Morty’s ‘aunter, they want tae be ‘ere,” Mary told him, stretching out and then selecting a spot to lie down and begin grooming her wool.

“Mama told me about fighting spirits once,” Tobias said, settling down next to her and imitating her grooming motions. He was always game for getting to play with the Flaaffy’s soft wool. “Some warriors die and still aren’t _done_ fighting. They need to fight a while until they decide they’re done. Not very common in Kanto, she said. Most dead in Kanto have fought all their lives…”

“Things are different here,” Saylee said, frowning as her hair started sticking to her hairbrush. She put it away and dug out her dreamcatcher. “We’re going to battle Morty in the morning. Toby, you’re the most used to handling ghosts. You’ve been to Lavender with your parents. I’m going to be mainly relying on you.”

“ _Really_?” Tobias said excitedly, flying up to hug Saylee. “Yay! Thank you!”

“No problem,” Saylee said, hugging him back. “It’s pretty late, so I’m going to take a shower and then let’s all get some sleep, okay?”

“Sounds loike a plan t’me, moy love,” Georgia said, floating gently to the ground. She smiled when Wendy floated down to sleep on the ground next to her, spreading one wing over her rocky friend like a cover.

“How come you don’t just put us in our pokéballs for the night, anyways?” Nider wanted to know. “Most humans do that…”

“I like having you all here,” Saylee said, pulling her towels out of her bag. She started to remove her shoes and smiled at the sight of Tobias snuggling down into Mary’s wool.

“We like bein’ here,” Chip said, curling up next to Tobias and Mary. Nider yawned hugely and lay down nearby.

Once Saylee was showered and changed into her nightshirt, she went to turn off the light. The room remained very dimly lit, however, by a vague pink glow from her dreamcatcher. It was enough to let her see her way back to her bedroll without tripping over one of her Pokémon, but somehow it wasn’t intrusive at all when she closed her eyes.

“Goodnight,” she whispered, reaching up to touch it before snuggling under her blanket and falling straight to sleep.

{}

“Four Pokémon each, switch-in?” Morty suggested. Saylee nodded.

“I’ll only need one,” she promised.

“This shall be a sight to see!” Eusine said excitedly. He gave Morty a kiss on the cheek and ran to sit with his boyfriend’s disciples, who were sitting in rows to watch the battle. The main hall of the dojo was in a similar style to the geisha’s dance hall, a large expanse of polished wooden flooring set above a tatami seating area and separated from the rest of the building by a set of plain sliding paper doors. Saylee wondered if the buildings had been built around the same time. “The winner shall advance in the prestige of the almighty Ho-oh!”

“That’s nice,” Saylee said, releasing Tobias. Morty looked around at the darkness that enshrouded the hall.

“Geary,” he called, “do you feel up to a battle?”

“Sure!” A Gastly materialized with a wicked grin in front of Morty. His eyes immediately began to glow, the pupils rolling wildly.

“Extrasensory!” Saylee ordered. Tobias’ eyes glowed right back and Geary shuddered, fading away. “Are you giving them commands telepathically?”

“Some of them are indeed talented at reading my intent,” Morty said mildly. A Haunter appeared next to him. “Such as Gelasius here.” Gelasius giggled and then gave an unearthly shriek.

 _He doesn’t even have to call them…_ “Extrasensory again!” Saylee ordered. Tobias’ eyes glowed once more and Gelasius faded out just as Geary had, but again Tobias cried out and collapsed as a curse took hold.

“It will fade the moment he is returned to his pokéball,” Morty promised. Saylee did so, startled by Tobias being cursed again but not as afraid as she had been in Burned Tower. Morty was older and more powerful than Silver, far more likely to know what he was doing, and if he was anything like the Lavender priestesses, he had too much respect for death to purposefully kill.

“Magnitude!” Saylee commanded, releasing Georgia.

“Gilgamesh,” Morty called, rather more sternly than when he’d summoned Geary. A Gengar appeared, cackling at the shaking floor.

“Ah, oh, ow, you _got_ me…” he gasped theatrically, spinning in the air a foot above the floor. “Seriously? That’s your plan?”

“Shut up an’ foight, you tosser,” Georgia grumbled, beginning to throw rocks at Saylee’s command. By and large, however, the stones passed harmlessly through the trickster spirit while the black sphere that Gilgamesh produced in his hands hit Georgia hard enough to slam her into the far wall.

“Georgia!” Saylee cried, running to her Pokémon’s side.

“Still… breathin’…” Georgia gasped. “Don’t you… worry now…”

“You’re going to be okay,” Saylee promised, returning Georgia and glancing back at Gilgamesh. He and Morty were glaring at each other. Gengar were evidently a little more uncontrolled than regular spirits, so Morty must have considered Tobias a serious threat. Knowing that, and knowing that Curses dispelled when Pokémon were returned to their pokéballs, Saylee released the Togetic again. “If you’re feeling better, Toby, you know what to do!”

“Sure do!” Tobias said, glowing with psychic power. Gilgamesh shuddered but didn’t fade.

“That all you got, little fairy?” he leered, producing another black sphere and flinging it at Tobias. It passed right through Tobias with no effect.

“You’re one to talk,” Tobias said with a frown, hitting Gilgamesh with extrasensory again. This time, the Gengar vanished.

“It is four on four, and I still have Gavril left,” Morty said as another Haunter appeared. It tried to hypnotize Tobias as Geary had, but Tobias knocked it straight out with extrasensory.

“No you don’t,” Saylee said, stepping forwards and hugging Tobias. “Well done!”

“I hope they all find rest soon,” Tobias said solemnly. Morty smiled and bowed to him.

“That was _fantastic_!” Eusine enthused. “Splendid! Morty, she beat you with ease! Even I have never managed that!”

“That was something indeed,” Morty said, walking up to shake Saylee’s hand. “You are most worthy yourself… here.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew a pin, which he pressed into Saylee’s hand. “My emblem, the symbol of Fog. Show it to the brothers at Bell Tower and they’ll let you visit the base of the Tower and their library. It’s quite fascinating if you are inclined towards myth and legend.”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, pinning the badge onto her bag. “Can I ask something else of you?”

“But of course,” Morty said with a nod. “You have earned it.”

“I need you to help me find someone.” Saylee reached into the small pocket of her bag that held precious things like her dreamcatcher and Red’s last letter. An old photograph was folded up in there. “The boy in this picture is my elder brother, Red,” she explained. “He’s been missing for three years. Please, can you help me find him?”

Morty looked at the photo for a long time, absorbing Red’s face. “If anyone in the world can find your brother, it is Morty,” Eusine declared. The disciples all nodded, leaning forwards eagerly to watch Morty use his power.

“A psychic in Kanto saw him dying in the west,” Saylee said, her voice trembling a little as she remembered Sabrina’s words. “Is he here? Is he in Johto?”

“I will see,” Morty said, closing his eyes. He stood very still for a long time, a frown slowly forming. Saylee closed her own eyes and thought hard about Red, remembering how Sabrina had required it for her own powers to work.

Blue had been there too, thinking of Red. Saylee wished briefly that her best friend was there with her. She was terrified that she was about to hear that Red had died, and Blue’s presence would be a comfort.

“He’s east of here,” Morty said, slowly extending an arm and pointing through the wall.

“Is he alive?” Saylee asked quickly, looking east even though there was nothing to see but the wall. Morty’s frown deepened.

“Were he no longer in this world, I would not be able to find him,” he said, opening his eyes. “I had a premonition as well. You will find him in the snow.”

“Snow…” Saylee frowned. She had read about snow before, but she’d never seen it. It didn’t really get cold enough to snow in Kanto. The weather there didn’t change much beyond the frequency of the rain. “Does it snow a lot in Johto?”

“Quite a bit, some winters,” Eusine said with a nod. “Perhaps Morty’s vision means that you’ll find your elder brother when winter comes.”

“Thank you very much,” Saylee said, bowing to them both. “Thank you for everything. I’d better go and get Georgia healed.”

“May all here rest peacefully,” Tobias said, imitating the bow and following his trainer away.

“You’re welcome here any time you need sanctuary, Lyra,” Morty called after her. “This is a safe place for you.”

“Good to know,” Saylee said, stepping out into the chilly morning air.

{}

“Gorgeous, in’t it?” Mary said, kicking up a drift of golden leaves. Saylee could only nod in agreement. The trees surrounding the Bell Tower were like nothing she’d ever seen. She’d thought the autumn colours of the rest of Johto were amazing, but against the trees at the base of the Bell Tower they were as drab as Kanto foliage.

It was like somebody had set the trees on fire, surrounding them with brilliant, flickering reds and gold. Saylee almost felt like she could burn herself walking through the drifts of fallen leaves. Wendy and Nider alone were not particularly entranced.

“It all looks rather dead,” Wendy said critically. “I do so hate winter. It’s awfully cold and there’s not a thing to eat.”

“Ain’t that what we got ‘er for?” Georgia said, nodding at Saylee.

Saylee rolled her eyes and then looked down at Nider, who was curled up and napping. “Don’t you think it’s beautiful?” she prompted.

“’S just _leaves_ ,” he grumbled. “Wake me when we’re somewhere interestin’, somewheres that there’s no monks goin’ on ‘bout ‘no fightin’ in the temple’…”

“Lighten up,” Chip said, spitting a cinder at Nider.

“Better not to do that, Chip,” Saylee said gently. “These dead leaves look pretty dry.” Her pokégear buzzed at her. “Hello?”

“ _Saylee, my dear, I have news_!”

“Hello, Mr Pokémon,” Saylee said, leaning back against a wizened old tree trunk. “News? Did Vera tell you about Silver?”

“ _Who? Never heard of a Pokémon like that, I’m afraid…_ ”

“Never mind. What’s the news?”

“ _Well, that Sudowoodo stampede was quite something, they ended up going past Violet City. Frederick got to talking with one of them, and they said they were moving away from the sickness in Olivine. It’s become quite an epidemic, they say. Must be hitting the farms north of Olivine too because the prices are shooting right up on milk and a few other things.”_

“That’s awful,” Saylee said with a frown. “What do you think’s causing it?”

“ _I’m sure I don’t know. I’d suggest a Muk making its way into the streams, but water so polluted would be noticed straight away, don’t you think? It’s unusual, in any case. I can’t imagine what else could naturally cause such an epidemic, but it’s taking down people and Pokémon in droves. The lighthouse Ampharos is terribly ill, they say, and she’s the most powerful Ampharos in the country…_ ”

Saylee looked up at the falling leaves, feeling conflicted. Red was east of here and west of Kanto, which considerably reduced the slice of land that she had to search for her brother. On the other hand, she’d brought up Morty among the monks and they’d all talked about how accurate his visions always were. If they were never wrong—and his scoreboard so far apparently suggested that this was the case—then she would definitely find Red once it started to snow. In that case, following an unnatural epidemic that was softening up powerful Pokémon wasn’t a bad way to kill time until then. Odds were good that Team Rocket were involved somehow, whether they were the cause or if they would simply appear to scavenge among the suffering.

She weighed both options in her head for a moment, but in the end she tipped west. It felt like the right way to go. “Thanks for the tip,” she said. “How long, roughly, do you think it would take to get to Olivine from Ecruteak?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That shadow ball that Georgia took from Morty’s Gengar? She survived with 1HP. ONE. GORRAM. HEALTH. POINT. This girl is soul sisters with Carrie.
> 
> Also, I remember how in GSC the entrance to the Bell Tower (Tin Tower back then because of a translationderp, apparently) was right off of Ecruteak? The Bell Path didn’t exist. When I first saw that path in HeartGold, it absolutely took my breath away. It still does. It’s one of the most beautiful locations in the game and I love it to bits. HeartGold in general was one big, beautiful nostalgia trip for me, and it remains my favourite Pokémon game to date largely for being such a beautiful remake of what was previously my favourite instalment.
> 
> (Yes, I know there are a great many other video games with prettier, more detailed graphics. I don’t care. Being less beautiful than something else is not the same as ugly. It’s still a beautiful game, and most importantly it’s fun. The prettiness is just the icing on the cake, as it should be. /Videogamerant)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 14 
> 
> Deaths: 0

Olivine City was a port town that was nearly a week’s walk away from Ecruteak City, through a reservation area of wild fields and grass and several large farms. Tempted though she was by the Bell Monastery’s vast library of ancient texts, Saylee chose not to linger but instead to set out immediately for Moomoo Farm, the nearest farm from Ecruteak. It was still three days’ walk away, and the days were getting much shorter. The reservation area had a worn dirt path through it for travellers, which wild Pokémon tended to avoid. A few trainers came on and off the path, going into the grassy areas to fight wild Pokémon, but after less than a days’ walk Saylee stopped seeing them. Most trainers were clearly daytrippers, not campers. On the second day, Saylee elected to keep walking after dark for a while, with Georgia and her impeccable night vision as a guide, but it was cold going and Saylee gave up after an hour to release Chip and pitch camp under some trees. Soon her thick sleeping bag wasn’t going to be enough to keep her warm at night, even with Chip curled up next to her. 

“Ooft,” Saylee muttered, pulling an extra jumper out of her bag and pulling it on over her clothes to sleep in. “I miss Chaz. After he evolved into a Charizard, I never got cold at night. He was so big to start with, and he just got bigger…”

“That’s what be happenin’ when you’re gettin’ older,” said Chip, who was already more than a foot longer than when he’d first evolved.

“Not for humans,” Saylee said, snuggling into her sleeping bag and pulling it as tightly shut as she could while still having room to breathe. “I’m probably not going to get much taller than I am right now. Fatter, maybe, if I gorge myself on sweets, but not taller. When I get old enough, actually, I’ll probably start getting smaller.”

“ _Smaller_?” Georgia said incredulously. “You ‘umans’re roight weird, you are.”

“You’ll be alright with keepin’ the first watch, Georgia?” Chip asked, climbing on top of Saylee’s sleeping bag and settling down to sleep.

“Just foine, moy love, oi’ll wake you if anythin’ int’restin’ ‘appens.”

“Ta,” Chip mumbled, drifting off. “Lee, what about your dreamcatcher?”

“I’m just getting warm in here, I’m not getting out for it now,” Saylee said, glancing at her bag. “I put the other four’s pokéballs in with it. It can look after them tonight.” It was too cold to have Wendy or Tobias out overnight, and Mary complained of cold more often now that she didn’t have as much wool. Nider just complained, often and loudly, if he was even the least bit chilly. Georgia, being a rock, didn’t really experience hot and cold the way fleshy creatures did, so she was content to sit out and keep watch. Chip could feel cold, theoretically, but it would have to be very cold indeed to overcome his internal fires and the hot coals that were set into his back and head. Saylee’s sleeping bag was warming up just from Chip being on it. “Goodnight, you two.”

“Goodnight, Georgia, Lee…”

“G’noight, moy loves.”

{}

“Lee! Wake up! Quick!”

“Mphblguh?” Saylee muttered, staring around the blackness in confusion. What was going on? Where was she? What was happening?

“Lee!” A little black-and-white face appeared in her line of vision, lit by the fires on top of its head. Saylee’s head cleared. “Chip? What’s going on? It’s still dark out…”

“Georgia was just wakin’ me up to swap watches and it suddenly ran outta nowhere and started starin’!” Chip insisted.

“ _What_ did?” Saylee said, groping for her glasses and sitting up once they were in hand. The metal on the frames was freezing, but she needed to be able to see. All she got without her glasses was an impression of something large and yellow glowing in the dark.

It was tall, taller than Saylee, yellow-bodied with black stripes and a white face and belly. Its face sported an odd black-and-blue crest, like a mask, and some kind of purple mane flowed down its back like a cape. White sparks of electricity crackled off of it in the dark.

Saylee took her glasses off again. As a vague yellow glow, the creature was familiar.

“One of the Beasts,” she whispered, putting her glasses back on to get a good look. “The Beast of Lightning…” She thought back to her conversations with Morty and Eusine. They’d mentioned two Beasts besides Suicune; which one had been the Lightning Beast? “Raikou?” she guessed.

Raikou inclined its head briefly at the sound of its name, and then turned in the direction of Olivine. It crouched and darted forwards. In the blink of an eye, it was gone.

“What was that, then?” Georgia said, confused. “That _thing_ …”

“It were glowin’ like the lights that were leavin’ the Burned Tower,” Chip said in awe.

“It’s going towards Olivine too,” Saylee noted. _Why? Is it something to do with the epidemic out there? Is Ho-oh sending out its servants to deal with it?_ Why? _I know that gods like Ho-oh are worshipped because they’re believed to be able to cause miracles and protect people, but from what Vera’s told me they don’t have a great track record of actually_ doing _anything…_

Her thoughts derailed as she yawned hugely. She was too tired and her brain too foggy to figure it out. If Georgia and Chip were switching watches, it had to be about one in the morning. “Georgia, we’d better sleep,” she said. “Sunrise is in about seven hours, and I’m sure we can get moving a while before that.”

“Roight you are, moy love.” Georgia rolled over and went to sleep. Chip sat up, now wide awake, but stayed on Saylee’s sleeping bag, keeping her warm.

She didn’t feel frightened at all by Raikou’s appearance. It had only stopped and stared at them for a bit without running off. Besides, with Chip and Georgia, she felt perfectly safe.

{}

“Oooft, aye,” Mary said, wool buzzing as she looked around. “Can ye no’ feel that?”

“Kind of,” Saylee said, trying to smooth down her pigtails. It had been two days since her strange encounter with Raikou, and her hair was still springing up into the air and crackling whenever she tried to smooth it down. Her tights kept buzzing, too. When she had climbed over the fence into the empty farm field that they were now crossing, the metal in the fence had zapped her briefly. “It’s going the same way as us, and it’s left a hell of a trail…”

“Heard all sorts ae stories ‘bout Raikou when I wis a lamb,” Mary said, sniffing the air. “Some folk said it’s an Ampharos that got well powerful, ken?”

“It was big and yellow,” Saylee said thoughtfully. “And had some kind of white fluff on its face…”

“There you go, then,” Mary said proudly. “Ahh, I wish you’d thought tae get me oot tae see it! Must’ve been a sight an’ a hauf!”

“It was,” Chip agreed. “But it came and was gone so quick…”

 _Ampharos…_ “Hey, Mary,” Saylee said, “when we first met you, didn’t you say your mum’s a lighthouse keeper?”

“Aye,” Mary said proudly. “Brightest tail on the sea!”

“Does she live in Olivine?” Inwardly, Saylee cursed herself for not realizing earlier. She ought to have known the moment Mr Pokémon brought up the lighthouse in his call and felt terrible for forgetting.

“Aye,” Mary said happily. “Cannae wait tae see ‘er…”

“I think she’s ill, Mary,” Saylee said softly. “Mr Pokémon told me that the lighthouse Ampharos in Olivine is one of the worst affected by the epidemic. She might not be in great shape…”

Mary looked stricken. Saylee felt awful for having to burst her excitement like that, but it had to be better than Mary only finding out when she actually saw her mother ill. Later that day, they started to see just how bad it was.

They crossed two more fields that were clearly in use—the grass was short, not clipped but bitten, and the water run had recently been repaired to keep fresh water running through the field—but were entirely devoid of life. Finally, Saylee came across a large red barn with a two-story house next to it. The barn was a fairly modern edifice, set on a solid stilt structure above the ground and made out of some kind of insulated metal that had been painted red, but the house was a stone-walled building of a somewhat older style. There were toys in the front yard, but no sign of children or Pokémon.

“Yeah, the whole herd’s sick,” the farmer complained morosely when Saylee knocked on his door to ask about the purpose of his vast and completely empty grass fields. “Moomoo’s the herd leader, so if we could just make her better her milk could heal the rest…” He rubbed his stomach; he looked fairly queasy himself, and had the pale, lank look of a large man who hadn’t been eating and had lost some weight. “My little girls are sick too,” he said helplessly. “If I were you, miss, I’d turn around and go straight back to Ecruteak.”

Saylee thought about the little bag that she’d been sent by Vera the previous day. Apparently the berries were good for sicknesses of the stomach, and Saylee had hoped to hang onto them in case she or her own Pokémon got sick, but… “You could try feeding her these berries,” she said, digging out the bag. “If they help, then their medicinal effect should come out in Moomoo’s milk, right? I understand that Miltank are quite good at that…”

“That they are,” the farmer agreed, taking the bag and peering at the round blue berries inside. “Well, can’t hurt. If it works, I’ll owe you a good few bottles!”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, following him into the barn with Chip and Mary at her heels. There was a ramp up into the barn, which the farmer could barely climb up, and Saylee had to push the door open for him because he hadn’t the strength himself. “They might help your mother,” she added to Mary.

“Aye, Miltank milk’s s’posed tae be the good stuff,” Mary agreed, brightening up.

Moomoo was the biggest, fattest Miltank that Saylee had ever seen. She was lying on a pile of hay and blankets at the back of the barn, moaning weakly. Fifty-odd other Miltank lay about the huge barn, none of them looking well at all. A few were trying to eat out of a large feed bin at one side of the room, a few more were sipping at the water run, and more than a few were being sick into a pit in one corner. Mary looked nervous again at the sight of how sick they were. Chip carefully covered his nose with his paw. Saylee couldn’t tell if it was because he was afraid of catching the blight or if it was just because the place really _smelled_ like a barn full of sick Miltank.

“Moomoo, we’ve got some medicine for you,” the farmer said, patting her gently on the head. “Can you open your mouth?” Moomoo’s jaw slowly and laboriously drooped open, and he fed the berries to her one at a time. She could barely chew, grinding each berry once between her teeth before swallowing weakly. After three, her breathing got noticeably easier and she started to chew more; six and her eyes opened.

“Mmm… my belly feels a bit better,” she sighed. “Can I have some more?”

“There’s three more,” the farmer said, tipping them all into her mouth at once. “How do you feel now?”

“Much better!” Moomoo rolled onto her feet and stretched. “Thank you so much! Where did you get those wonderful berries?”

“I think they’re imported,” Saylee said apologetically. “They’re all I’ve got. I don’t have any more for the herd… or your little girls, I’m sorry,” she added to the farmer.

“Well then, I guess it’s up to me, isn’t it?” Moomoo said, lying down again. Her stomach rumbled. “I’ll give you a shout when I feel up for milking, Ted.”

“Thank you so much,” the farmer said repeatedly, leading Saylee back into the house. “With Moomoo’s milk, we can heal the whole herd and the girls!”

“Really? Moomoo’s better?” his wife said excitedly, having overheard them as she came down the stairs. She was a stout but pretty woman who, unlike her husband, still looked rosy-cheeked and healthy. “That’s wonderful! You know, dear,” she added to Saylee, “it’s getting late, you know how it gets darker earlier this time of year, so why don’t you stay here for tonight? We owe you that, at least!”

“Thank you very much,” Saylee said gratefully. “Do you have any idea what’s causing the sickness?”

“I’m afraid not,” the woman said with a frown. “None of our food’s rotten, the Miltank prefer hay and that’s alright too, we checked… it’s some kind of virus, I suppose. Don’t worry, dear, I’ve been alright, so if I make your tea you won’t catch a thing off me!” Mary and Chip both looked excited at the prospect of dinner.

“I don’t want to press you too much,” Saylee said, “but do you think there’ll be enough dinner for all of my Pokémon?”

{}

“Do you know,” Wendy said thoughtfully, looking around them as the seven of them stretched out or snuggled up around the mismatched furniture of the guest bedroom, “Georgia, you’re the only one who hasn’t yet evolved!”

“That be true,” Chip agreed. “I’m evolved, Nider’s just been, Toby a tad afore, an’ Mary were at the same time as me… Wendy were first, weren’t you, evolvin’ twice afore anyone else!”

“We takes toime to evolve, we does,” Georgia said placidly. “You lot ain’t got no patience at all, you ain’t. Oi’ll evolve in me own toime.”

“Then you’ll be a Graveller,” Saylee said, taking a sip from her cup of tea. The farmer’s wife had insisted on keeping her topped up on the hot brew, certain that her own fondness for it was what kept her from catching the illness. “You’ll have legs then because you’ll be too heavy to float. Oh, and four arms.” She was looking forward to it herself; she’d never gotten to see Geoff evolve, after all.

“Four? _Cool_!” Tobias said excitedly, fluttering around Georgia’s head. “Hey, do _I_ evolve again?”

“I didn’t know that you evolved _once_ , Toby,” Saylee admitted. She’d tried searching the Pokédex for Togepi and Togetic before, but she’d only gotten various random fairy tales. None of them had mentioned another form for Togetic. “One story said that you’re related to angels.”

“ _You_? An _angel_?” Mary laughed, flicking her tail. As always, Tobias immediately began chasing it. “A bloody nuisance is what you are.”

“Yeah, but you’d miss me if I went home,” Tobias said with a cheeky grin. “Do you evolve any more, Mary?”

“Aye, o’ course!” Mary declared. “Someday, I’m gaunnae be an Ampharos like ma maw!”

“Me mam were a Typhlosion,” Chip added. “An’ me Da. I’m wantin’ t’be strong like they someday.”

“You will be,” Saylee promised him. “Have you ever thought about being a Nidoking, Nider?”

“What, like Big Ned?” Nider said in surprise. “He’s in charge of the herd back home. Most of us thought it was just a legend, turning into a King, at least until Big Ned did it. Smug bastard never said how.”

“He must’ve found a Moon Stone,” Saylee explained. “Moon rocks that emit ‘cosmic radiation’, whatever that is. It’ll turn a Nidorino into a Nidoking, though.”

“ _Really_?” Nider said excitedly. “That’d be _badass_! Where do you get stuff like that?”

“Well, the moon, I assume,” Saylee said with a shrug. “Down here… I really don’t know. Hikers find them up in the mountains sometimes, I hear. Olivine’s a port town, they must have foreign and exotic traders in a lot, maybe we’ll find one there…” She drained the rest of her tea and set the cup aside. “Right, it’s very late and we’ll want to be up bright and early tomorrow. Let’s get some sleep.”

“Early’s not bright, not this time o’ year,” Chip muttered, curling up next to Saylee. Tobias snuggled down between him and Mary while Nider and Georgia both thumped down into their own spots. Wendy fluttered over next to Georgia again.

“Maybe they traders you’re talkin about’ll hae them berries too, aye?” Mary said quietly. Saylee reached over and stroked her soft wool, ignoring a small zap of static.

“I’m sure they will,” she promised.

{}

Saylee figured that she could make the walk to Olivine in one full day if she started early. She set out before dawn with Chip and Mary, thanking the farmer for his hospitality and gratefully accepting a bottle of milk from Moomoo. In the pre-dawn gloom there wasn’t anybody else on the main road to the city, but as the day wore on and houses became more frequent, Saylee still didn’t see anybody.

It soon became clear that a _lot_ of people and Pokémon were sick.

Almost no wild Pokémon appeared on the road, even though tracks indicated that they crossed and used it as much as humans did. At one point a Persian crossed the path ahead of them, holding two of her baby Meowth in her mouth by the scruff of their necks. Three more were draped over her back. All five of the kittens were mewling about their stomachs hurting. The Persian glared at Saylee, as if daring to try anything against her kittens, before hurrying away as quickly as she could without dropping any of them.

“I’m not likin’ this, Lee…” Chip muttered. “What be wrong wi’ everyone?”

“Let’s get to the main port and find out,” Saylee said, following the road towards Olivine. The dirt path soon became a cobbled road, and soon a paved street. An hour later, they crested a hill, and the sea stretched out before them, sparkling blue and smelling of salt. The scattered houses that they passed increased steadily in number and density as they got closer to the waterfront.

Very few people were outside. Some of the few people that Saylee saw were sick themselves, wearing breathing masks and hunched over sore stomachs as they went shopping for food and necessities for relatives even sicker than themselves. Some fairly healthy-looking people were clustered in groups, muttering about something that was causing them to throw dark looks in Saylee’s direction.

“Is that the lighthouse?” Tobias asked, pointing up at the huge white tower that loomed over the town.

“That’ll be it,” Saylee agreed. Mary immediately dropped on all fours and began to run towards it. “Mary, wait!”

Saylee ran after Mary with Chip and Nider at her heels. Tobias and Wendy went flying on ahead. Georgia fell behind, the heavy rock-type unable to keep up.

There was a large crowd standing in front of the lighthouse, shouting loudly. There was a yell of pain from Mary. A Machop had attacked her.

“Mary!” Tobias cried, darting forwards. He just narrowly dodged a Fearow as it dove into the attack. It hit Wendy full in the abdomen instead, sharp beak ripping Wendy almost in half.

“Wendy!” Saylee screamed, diving to catch her as she fell from the sky. She heard a scream of horror from Georgia and the Fearow backed off somewhat as several rocks were flung hard at its head. Georgia appeared at Saylee’s elbow as she clutched Wendy’s dripping body.

“Wendy,” Georgia said shakily. “Are you alroight, moy dear? Wendy, love… Wendy…”

“How could you?!” Chip raged, spitting fireballs at the attacking Fearow.

“Get out of it!” The great bird cawed back. “You’re not wanted here! Go on, push off!”

“I’m so sorry, Georgia,” Saylee said shakily, feeling something unmentionable dripping down her arms from Wendy’s corpse. “She’s not getting up again. I’m so sorry…”

The Machop went flying over her head, blown away by Tobias’ power, but Tobias and Mary were already fighting a Poliwhirl and a second Machop.

“Sorry?” Georgia growled, hefting a huge rock the size of herself out of the ground. “Sorry’s what that bloody Fearow’s going t’be…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That moment where you cack it because you casually walk down a route and suddenly HAI THAR RANDOM RAIKOU. I had a personal dilemma about whether this counted as a first encounter which ceased to matter when Georgia got a critical hit with magnitude 10 on the next Pokémon I saw, a Meowth. 
> 
> Also, my first death of this run. Freaking Fearow with bloody pursuit when I tried to switch Wendy out… Georgia then hit a critical Rock Throw against the killer. That was awful. I was doing so well…
> 
> RIP Wendy the Beedrill, level 4-22


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 13 
> 
> Deaths: 1

“I’m so, so sorry…”

Saylee sat in the clinic, one hand on the jar of ashes that used to be Wendy and the other resting on Tobias’ back. Tobias was muttering prayers for Wendy’s soul while choking back sobs. Georgia was folded up with her face behind her arms, not looking at anyone. The attacking Fearow had been wheeled into surgery to have its wing reattached. His trainer had been enraged at first, but once he’d seen Wendy’s corpse cradled in Saylee’s arms he had become grudgingly apologetic, and an older man had called off the other attacking trainers.

“Some thugs in black tried to steal Lily before,” the old man explained, holding his cane in one hand and his hat to his chest with the other. “We fought ‘em off an’ moved Lily from the clinic back to the lighthouse… they came back, though. Fought ‘em off again, but… well, we’ve all been wary of outsiders now…”

“Lily’s ma Maw’s name,” Mary bleated weakly. “Is she okay?” The old man looked away without saying anything.

“I’m so sorry,” the Fearow trainer repeated. “That’s no excuse, it was too extreme, I didn’t mean for him to _kill_ …”

“Fearow are very predatory birds,” Saylee said softly. “Beedrill just look like a big chunk of flying food to them. Yours could use some training in knowing how to hold back.”

“This is aw ma fault,” Mary sniffed. “If I hadnae gone runnin’ off like that…”

“It missed me,” Tobias said, his voice wobbling. “It was coming for me and I dodged and it hit Mary instead…”

“It was an _accident_ ,” Saylee said, hugging Tobias to her. “Nobody _meant_ for it to happen… just a horrible accident…”

“Accident,” Goergia muttered hoarsely. “Oi seen _accidents_ un’ergroun’. Down there, tunnels collapse an’ rock all th’ toime. _Them’s_ accidents.” Angry, accusing eyes glared at the Fearow trainer. “That thing _killed_ ‘er. On _purpose._ ”

“And you threw a boulder so hard at him that you tore his wing off!” the Fearow trainer said sharply. “It’ll be years of surgery and healing before he can fly again, if ever! His beak’ll probably never heal right, either!”

“You made sure he got his,” Saylee said to Georgia. She let Tobias go and crouched down next to the sullen Geodude. “And his trainer needs to make it clear what he’s done wrong and why he’s never to do it again.” She gave the trainer a hard glare and he slunk off to check on his Fearow.

“Would we be in trouble if we were killin’ anyone?” Chip asked, sniffing at Wendy’s tin. Saylee petted his head tentatively. He had more control since evolution; when his fires were banked, the coals were slightly warm to the touch rather than burning.

“In cold blood? Yes,” Saylee said, looking around them. “In an accident like this, where you really should have known better… if you barbecued a young Sunkern, say, or Mary electrocuted a Magikarp… any incident where you didn’t let up on a weaker opponent… yes, you’d be in _huge_ trouble.”

“Daddy says that being a true warrior doesn’t just mean being strong,” Tobias put in. “It means having the control to use your strength properly. He an’ Mummy also said… killing’s not always, all the time bad. Sometimes you have to…”

“There are situations that you can’t predict, and I’m not going to say no killing under any circumstances ever,” Saylee said softly. “I just hope that none of you ever do.”

“If you want, miss,” a nurse said nervously, “we can take that casket out and give her a burial at sea. Then Lugia’ll protect her.”

“Lugia?” Saylee asked, clutching Wendy’s remains protectively. The name sounded familiar, but her brain wasn’t fully functioning beyond mentally replaying Wendy’s death over and over. “Who’s that?”

“The sea god,” the nurse explained. “They say he’s not always that fond of humans… that’s why we built the lighthouse, you see, to guide ships safely through his whirlpools. But he protects Pokémon, so he’ll protect your Beedrill. We bury all of our Pokémon at sea.”

“I’ll guide you up to the lighthouse in the morning, if you want,” a woman offered, stepping away from a group that had been hovering nervously nearby throughout Saylee’s whole conversation with the Fearow’s trainer. She was quite short, with tied-back blue hair and dark freckles across her nose. “Jasmine’s guarding Lily right now, but we’re friends, so if I vouch for you… I’m sure you’re not one of those sneaky thieves,” she said firmly. “When their Pokémon got hurt, they ran away and left them…”

“Can we go bury Wendy right now, then?” Saylee asked, standing up. “Come on, everybody. We need to go say goodbye.”

Georgia was the last to reluctantly get up and follow. “Oi ain’t scared o’ no water,” she mumbled when Chip prompted her to go. “I jus’… I don’t want t’ say g’bye…”

Chip decided to leave it for a more delicate time to ask if the sand rolling off her cheeks was the Geodude equivalent of crying.

{}

“Bye, Wendy. I’ll be missin’ you.”

“Bye, Wendy. I winnae forget you…”

“Rest in peace and contentment, Wendy.”

“Wish I knew you better. See ya.”

“Farewell, moy dear. Sorry oi din’t protect you… this toime…”

“Don’t blame yourself, Georgia. That way madness lies, trust me. Just don’t forget her. Keep her alive in your memory and she’ll never be gone.”

“Oi ain’t gonna forget her. Oi never could…”

{}

“Can’t sleep?” Saylee said softly, leaning over the edge of her dorm bed in the local hostel. They were bunk beds, but the hostel was otherwise empty, so Saylee was sleeping on a top bunk while Chip, Toby, Mary and Nider slept in a cosy-looking heap on the bottom. Georgia, however, was sitting in the far corner, producing small rocks from somewhere and repeatedly crumbling them into sand.

“Oi keep seein’ it, every toime oi close moy oyes…” Georgia whispered. “That thing ripped ‘er apart, an’ there weren’t nothin’ oi did… nothin’ oi could do… every other toime, oi were roight there, oi could ‘elp ‘er, but…”

“It’s not your fault,” Saylee said softly, climbing out of her bunk and padding over to crouch next to Gerogia.

“Oi _know_ that,” Georgia said. Her voice cracked. “ _That’s_ what ‘urts. There weren’t _nothin’_ oi could do… not for _Wendy_ … oi ain’t evolved, an’ oi couldn’t protect someone oi loved…” Saylee reached out and hugged the warm, living rock in her arms.

“You’ll get stronger,” Saylee promised. “And… accidents happen, even to the strongest of us. I’ve seen terrible accidents happen to Pokémon much stronger than you or Wendy. And I know that it’s hardest when you lose someone you love.”

“Oi got used t’sleepin’ next t’Wendy,” Georgia murmured. “Feel lonely wi’out ‘er ‘ere.”

“I’ll stay here with you,” Saylee promised. “I miss her too. I always will. I miss everyone I lose…”

Georgia slowly reached out and wrapped her arms around Saylee while the two of them cried quietly.

{}

Saylee’s guide insisted on waiting until long after sunrise before taking her up the lighthouse tower. Saylee could see where she was coming from; late-night intrusions would make anyone nervous, and the vigilantes outside the lighthouse had been jumpy enough during the day. Still, Saylee felt impatient. Something was very wrong in Olivine, and she was starting to get a feel for what.

The lighthouse was, primarily, a tourist location; the bottom floor had a number of dioramas about Olivine at various stages of its history and the first floor had an exhibition on Pokémon who lived in the sea around Olivine. The second floor had a cinema show about Olivine’s history, and the third was a wide-open room with drinks machines, benches, and a balcony for viewing the sea and the city. Saylee’s guide, a woman named Connie, unlocked a door that was only accessible from the balcony and lead Saylee up a ladder to the maintenance rooms where equipment for the lighthouse and tourist areas was kept. There was also an apartment where the human lighthouse officer normally lived, but it was empty. They were probably in the hospital.

“All of the police officers are sick,” Connie said morosely. “Almost all the doctors, too. The Pokémon clinic nurses have had to run around checking on humans and Pokémon alike, and there’s only two of them left! It just keeps getting worse…”

“And nobody can figure out the cause?” Saylee asked, looking at a display of family photographs. There was dust gathering on them.

“The doctors were looking into it, but then they all got ill,” Connie sighed. “They must’ve found something contaminated and caught it… here we go.” She peered up at a trapdoor in the ceiling. “Lily lives up there. Jasmine? It’s Connie. I’ve got guests. Jasmine? Can you hear me?”

“Connie?” a voice called through the trapdoor. “Um, I need the password…”

“Steel strong,” Connie hissed. “Can you let us in?”

After a moment, the trapdoor slid aside. It had been dark inside of the tower because none of the lights were on, but there was light in the top room, and in the sudden shaft of light Saylee couldn’t quite see the girl who was peering down at them. Then Jasmine retreated and a stepladder dropped down to them.

Saylee climbed up after Connie, wincing in the bright sunlight. The room was circled with windows, outside of which Saylee could see a balcony and a stunning vista of city and rolling hills in one direction and sparkling sea in the other. In the middle of the room was a circular arrangement of mirrors the likes of which Saylee had never seen before. They were all a little angled, and clearly intended to catch the faintest glow and bounce it into a light that could be seen for miles around. In the daytime, with the lightkeeper ill, it was just a dim maze of mirrors. Saylee had never seen so many in one place before, and it made her uncomfortable. It reminded her of something her mother had once told her, something halfway between a superstition and a fairy tale.

Saylee had been very small, and she had been staring into a pool that you could see your reflection in and had asked her mother about “the little girl living in the puddle”. Her mother had told her that it was just her, a picture of her in anything that reflected, but that some people thought that there was another world in reflections, with another you and everything. If you got between two mirrors, you could see hundreds or millions of other worlds, infinite numbers of them. But she also said that somewhere, out there, was a shadowy Pokémon that could slip between worlds through reflections, and in that infinite loop of worlds it would certainly be there and come through the reflections, coming for you…

It was just a silly superstition, a story to frighten children. As she recalled, it was often used to make her and Red go to sleep when they were told, her mother threatening them with two small mirrors. Still, it was slightly unsettling to see millions of flickers of movements every time she moved. She kept watching them all from the corner of her eye, in case one moved when it shouldn’t or didn’t when it should. Connie and Jasmine had already disappeared into the maze of mirrors, so she let Chip, Mary and Nider out for some company that wasn’t her.

“I be seein’ the back o’ me own head,” Chip said in awe, looking around. “This where your mam be livin’, is it, Mary?”

“Cool,” Nider said, inspecting his horn in a mirror. “Take a look at this handsome beast.”

“ _Maw_!” Mary bleated, darting between the mirrors. Saylee followed her to the centre, a little living area with a low bed on which lay a slender yellow creature.

Lily didn’t look much like a Mareep or Flaaffy. She had no wool at all. Her skin was yellow with black rings, and from her short arms and slender upper body looked to be entirely bipedal. Her tail was much longer than Mary’s, and the bulb on the end was red. It flickered weakly from time to time.

“You must be Lyra,” a human girl said softly. She was small and slight in a white dress and pastel green cardigan, with incredibly long brown hair which she had pushed over one shoulder to avoid sitting on as she sat next to Lily. Mary ran past her to nuzzle her mother. “And is this Mary?”

“Wee Mary?” Lily said weakly. “As I live an’ breathe… lookit you, aw grown up an’ evolved!” She nuzzled Mary back. Electricity sparked across both of them, making Lily’s tail glow briefly.

“This is Jasmine,” Connie said, introducing the humans. They stepped aside to give mother and daughter some private time.

“I heard about your Beedrill,” Jasmine said softly, shaking Saylee’s hand. “I’m so very sorry.”

“Thank you… What happened here?” Saylee asked, looking out of one of the plate-glass lighthouse windows. She didn’t want to think about Wendy right now. It was still too raw. Neither she nor Georgia had slept the previous night, and the other four Pokémon kept waking up from nightmares. None of them had seen a death like that before.

Saylee wished she hadn’t. It wouldn’t have made a difference. It never got any easier.

“It started about a month ago,” Jasmine explained. “Just a little, at first. The weaker groups—old people, young children, the already sickly. We thought it was just a stomach bug, but then Pokémon started going down too, and that’s odd…”

“…because humans and Pokémon can’t normally catch the same viruses,” Saylee agreed. “Most Pokémon can’t catch the same sicknesses as each other. So it’s not a virus. Did anything else happen about a month ago?”

“Ummm…” Jasmine fiddled with her hair thoughtfully.

“They started building the Pokémon trainer tower,” Connie suggested.  “It’s going to be the first facility that’s properly dedicated to competitive battling. They’re building it up the Enucius river, but as far as I know none of the workers have gotten sick…”

Saylee was starting to get an idea. “Where’s the Enucius river?”

“Um, west of here,” Jasmine murmured. “It’s the biggest river into the sea. It’s where we get most of our waters supplies from…”

Saylee’s pokégear rang which made her jump. She scrambled to pick it up, not wanting to disturb the quiet of the tower. “Hello?” she said tentatively. The caller ID said _mother,_ which meant it was Vera; her actual mother’s phone line, when it could connect, came up as _Mum_.

“ _I found what you were looking for,_ ” Vera said immediately. “ _A rare rock collector came through New Bark and I managed to trade it off of him. It won’t send through the portpad, though, for some reason, so Darren’s offered to deliver it.”_

“I’m in Olivine right now,” Saylee said with a frown. “It’ll take him a few days to get here, then…”

“ _She’s in Olivine,_ ” Vera said to someone else. “ _Don’t worry. His brother has a Kadabra that’s going to teleport them over. He just checked and it teleports psychically just fine. Don’t ask me why, I never did anything but guard duty in the science department. They’ll be in the Olivine market in a few minutes._ ”

“Brilliant! Thank you,” Saylee breathed.

“ _No problem. Any word on the Rockets in Olivine_?”

“Been and gone,” Saylee said, lowering her voice. “I’m not sure if they were scared of catching the illness or just lost interest in Pokémon that were too sick to fight.”

“ _They never did tend to waste a lot of budget on nursing. There are more cost-effective ways to temporarily incapacitate powerful Pokémon. I’ll call you if I hear anything else._ ”

“Thanks,” Saylee said, turning back to Jasmine and Connie, who were arguing quietly about something. Chip bounded over to Saylee.

“Lee!” Chip said breathlessly. “We’ve got to be goin’ to Cianwood!”

“Cianwood? Why?” Saylee asked in surprise. “Where is that?”

“It’s, um, it’s an island village,” Jasmine said tentatively. “It’s not too far from here, it’s just, uh, that it’s on the other side of the, uh, the Whirl Islands…”

“It’s got a fantastic pharmacy,” Connie added. “We were just saying that if anyone had medicine that could help the Pokémon here, it would be the apothecary there… the problem is that it’s just too far and too dangerous for a human to swim, and all of the water Pokémon in the area are too sick to ferry anyone over…”

“What about your boats?” Saylee asked. “This is a port town, I’m sure people have boats…”

Jasmine bit her lip. “Yes, well… boats, um, haven’t been able to pass the, uh, the Whirl Islands,” she said uncomfortably. “Not for, uh, about two years now, actually.”

“How for no?” Mary demanded.

“Well, there’s a reason they’re called the Whirl Islands,” Connie said, rolling her eyes. “It used to just be because of an old myth about the sea god Lugia, who was said to live in an underwater castle between the islands.” She giggled. “When we were kids, we’d all try and swim down to find it… but the waters were safe back then. Lugia did actually live there before, sometimes, but he left like a century ago or something.”

“A few, um, two years ago, Lugia, uh, came back,” Jasmine said nervously. “And he, well, he came back _angry_. Now there’s, uh, all these whirlpools, and there’s, uh, Pokémon that can swim right over them, but, well, humans have to swim around, or they, uh, get sucked in, and boats…”

“Th’ laird Lugia disnae like humans much,” Lily murmured. “Leave ‘im in peace an’ he winnae bother anyin…”

“Can any of your Pokémon surf?” Connie asked Saylee.

“Toby can fly,” Mary said, shaking her head, “but I dinnae ‘hink he can fly that far… I’m no great masel’, an’ water’s gaunnae _kill_ Chip an’ Georgia…”

“That’s why they’re not going to Cianwood,” Saylee said, looking at Nider. “Mary, how about you and Nider go to Cianwood for the medicine? If you go without me, Lugia probably won’t bother you…”

“Bring it oan!” Mary said excitedly. “You a swimmer then, Spikes?”

“No,” Nider said, stomping his short, stubby legs pointedly, “so what the hell are you thinkin’, Lee?”

“That I know just how to fix that,” Saylee promised.

{}

“Lyra! Over here!”

“Hi, Darren!” Saylee called, spotting Darren and a Kadabra in front of the main market. It was a big paved square, surrounded by closed shops and with aisles of abandoned stalls in the middle of the square. Only one store seemed to be open, and as Saylee ran past it she heard someone having a violent coughing fit inside. Darren greeted her with a big, boisterous hug. He was wearing his Cherrygrove Supermarket clerk’s apron and name badge, so he must have come straight from work.

“How’ve you been?” he said, setting her down and looking over her Pokémon. She’d let Tobias and Georgia out on leaving the lighthouse and brought everyone up to speed. “Man, you’ve caught tons! Hey, is that the little guy?”

“I got bigger,” Chip said proudly.

“Really? I was about to say you’d shrunk,” Darren teased. Chip spat an ember at his foot. “I surrender!”

“He’s funny,” Tobias giggled. He flew over to the Kadabra. “Hi there!”

“Mum sent a package for me, right?” Saylee asked. Darren began to pat himself down theatrically.

“Damn, dropped it in hyperspace,” he complained.

“We did not travel through hyperspace,” the Kadabra said dryly, lifting his spoon and levitating a small bag out of Darren’s back pocket. “Hyperspace looks _completely_ different. And smells rather odd.”

“Man, they never mention that in the movies—hey!” Darren complained, snatching the bag out of the air. “Keep your spoon out of my pants!”

“There are so many responses you don’t want me to make to that,” Saylee laughed. Darren bowed and presented the bag to her with a flourish.

“For you, my lady,” he said pompously. Saylee stuck her nose in the air and picked up the bag.

“You have done well, for a peasant,” she said snottily. “You shall have an extra bowl of rice tonight.”

“Oh boy! A whole extra bowl!” Darren squealed, bouncing up and down.

“Is this guy for real?” Mary muttered.

“Dunno, but Toby’s bein’ right, him’s funny,” Chip chuckled.

“What’s that, then?” Georgia asked, pointing at the bag.

“This,” Saylee said, unwrapping and examining the shiny grey stone inside, “is a Moon Stone. Touching it can cause some Pokémon to evolve, like Clefairy, Jigglypuff… and Nidos.”

Nider looked quickly from the stone to Saylee. “I could _evolve_?” he breathed. “Be a _King_?”

“Us’ll all have t’be bowin’ down, then,” Chip said. Saylee smiled, leaning down and holding out the stone.

“All you have to do is touch it,” she said.

“’Kay…” manoeuvring carefully to avoid scratching Saylee, Nider touched his horn to the Moon Stone.

The response was immediate. Nider actually began to glow as he reared up… and up… and up…

“Chip, Toby, can you go find out where we can get some lunch here?” Saylee asked, looking up at her new Nidoking. He was smaller than Giovanni’s, only a little taller than Saylee, but he’d grow in time. “After a growth spurt like that, he’s going to be _hungry_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big reason that I love Nidos; their versatility in the area of TMs and HMs. Hello, surfing Nidoking!
> 
> Also, I went back to Goldenrod to get a replacement team member for Wendy. You’ll find out who next chapter in somewhat different circumstances :)


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 13 
> 
> Deaths: 1

By the time Nider had gotten the hang of swimming with passengers on his back, it had grown too late to make the sea crossing. Crossing the sea at night, in the dark, was widely regarded as suicidally stupid. So they’d said their goodbyes to Darren and returned to their room for the night, despite Mary’s antsiness. In the dawn light, they’d gathered on the beach where the Enucius River flowed into the sea.

“So here’s how we’re going to do this,” Saylee said, clasping her hands together and looking over her Pokémon as they stood in a group on the damp sand. “Nider can make the swim to Cianwood for the medicine with Mary on his back. The rest of us will go upstream. I’m willing to bet that the problem is something getting into the water. Nobody seems to have thought of it here… I wonder if they ever have water pollution here. Anyway, does everyone like that plan?”

“Aye, I’ll get Maw’s meds!” Mary declared, peering up at Nider. He flexed his new physique proudly as he lifted Mary up and set her on his shoulders, careful to place her between his poisonous spikes without scratching her.

“I’m fired up and ready to go! YEAH!” He bellowed. Mary laughed.

“Saylee?” Tobias said, fluttering to her nervously. “I… I’d like to go to Cianwood with Mary and Nider.”

“Really?” Saylee said, glancing at the wide sea in trepidation. “I’d rather you were near me, Toby…”

“I know, but I wanna be with Mary,” Tobias said, flushing and quickly adding, “help Mary, I mean! And Nider, too, of course. It’s just a medicine trip, anyway!”

Saylee smiled and gave him a hug. “You’re right,” she agreed, giving him a little push towards Nider and Mary. “See you all this evening, then. Here.” She tossed three pokéballs to Mary. “Here’s your pokéballs. Just in case you need to make a quick getaway… Toby can return you two and fly back, or all three of you can return for safety. Pokéballs are pretty hard to break. If you’re not back by this evening, I’ll come looking for you.”

“How?” Mary asked, tucking the pokéballs into her wool as Tobias fluttered over to hover next to her. “Nider’s the only one who can swim that far.”

“ _I’ll_ swim that far if I have to,” Saylee said firmly. _I can always call and get Kaito to help, anyway_ , she thought, patting her Pokédex in her pocket. “I’ll see you all later, got it? Be careful!”

“Aye, you too!” Mary called. Nider waved and dove into the water.

“Thanks,” Tobias said. Saylee winked at him and he flew off, blushing again.

“What was that all ‘bout?” Chip asked, watching the little fairy go.

“Young love’s a won’erful thing, moy love,” Georgia sighed. “Roight then, off we go!”

{}

“Why’d she give us our own pokéballs?” Nider wanted to know as he swam across the open water. “I know they’ve got locks and stuff to make ‘em hard to break when they’re full, but when they’re empty like this we can just smash ‘em and go if we want…”

“Not gaunnae happen till we get Maw’s meds, aight?” Mary growled, clutching her wool. “I’ll zap yez, see if I dinnae!”

“Like that’d hurt,” Nider scoffed.

“Well, _I_ have psychic powers, and I bet _those’ll_ hurt,” Tobias said menacingly.

“Ceez, fine, I give in,” Nider sighed. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I don’t wanna go nowhere. I picked to be with this team, and it’s a pretty good gig, so here I’ll stay. But we _could_ go, is what I’m saying.”

“But yous said it yourself, you winnae,” Mary said firmly. “She knows it, tae. I mean, anyin makes a team’s got it made, in’t they? Get fed, get tae travel, get mates, get strong…” she tapped Nider’s ear. “Gaunnae be a King on yer own, were ye?”

“She’s just really trusting, is all,” Nider mumbled. “Kinda weird. They all say that the trade-off for being in a team is being in a pokéball a ton of the time and havin’ to obey your human…”

“Daddy says that Lee trusts Pokémon more than people,” Tobias mumbled. “I guess ‘cause she’s met a load of humans that were bad…”

“Kindae sad, in’t it, gettin’ fright away from yer ain kind like that?” Mary sighed. “Havenae seen tha’ many bad humans, though, ‘sides fae they Rocket chumps.”

“Haven’t hung around with that many humans, so no comment,” Nider said with a shrug. Mary shrieked as her seat was dislodged.

“Watch it, yous!” She yelped, clinging on. “You’re daein’ the swimmin’, mind!”

“Not for much longer,” Tobias said, flying up into the air to have a look and then back down. “We’re nearly there!”

{}

The Enucius River was quite broad, and the land around it was easy enough to follow upstream. It flowed through quite a few fields, where it no doubt served as the drinking water for the herds that lived there. None of the farm Pokémon were outside; they’d all probably been taken into barns like the one on Moomoo Farm to rest until they got better. After a couple of hours of trekking upstream, once the river had curved away from the fields and into the unsettlingly empty forests, Saylee began to hear a noise rising over the burble of the stream.

“What _is_ that?” Saylee said curiously, following the noise upstream.

“Sounds like someone’s bein’ in pain,” Chip said nervously. “Maybe someone bein’ sick…”

“There!” Georgia said, pointing at something in the stream. It took Saylee a moment to notice the pale grey head poking out of the river.

“Is that...?!” she gasped, running over to it. “Bloody hell…”

It had a long, slender body with no limbs, just a large head. Its skin was puffy and grey and cracked around its winglike ears. The skin crumbled disgustingly under Saylee’s hands as she tried to haul the sick Pokémon out of the river.

“It’s a zombie!” Chip yelped, backing away.

“It’s a Dratini,” Saylee corrected him. “It’s trying to shed its skin… myth says they can do that to heal illness and injuries. C’mon, help me get it out…”

The dead, poisoned skin felt utterly revolting under Saylee’s fingers, but nevertheless she scraped away, revealing beautiful, deep-blue skin underneath. The shade wasn’t quite what she expected.

“You have my gratitude most profound,” the dragon gasped, breathing in deep lungfuls of air as she was freed from the confines of her own thick, dead skin. “Never have I suffered a more horrendous experience than this. My attempt to progress in my journey by way of this brook, it is clear, was the worst sort of folly. There resides in the water a terrible foulness which disagreed with my wellbeing and drove me to shed mine skin… too much, alas. Folly again! I was the agent of mine own incarceration!”

“Are you really a Dratini?” Saylee asked, looking along the dragon’s body as she flicked the rest of her dead skin off with her tail, noting the two blue baubles on her tail and the horn on her head.

“Nay, though once I was indeed,” she corrected Saylee regally. “But my folly, it seems, is not without a boon, for enough has been shed and the transformation for which I journeyed has been thus enabled. My quest to become Dragonair has been most unexpectedly fulfilled! My name, nevertheless, remains Diana.” Diana bowed her head to them. “And by what fair names are my saviours known?”

Diana’s eloquent, antiquated manner to speech made Saylee want to curtsey to her. “I’m Lyra, but you can call me Lee,” she offered. “And this is Chip the Quilava and Georgia the Geodude.”

“It is indeed the finest honour to become acquainted with one and all,” Diana said, nodding to each of them in turn. “Am I presumptuous to assume that you are travellers, to find yourselves in such a place in company so odd? Be you on a quest your own?”

“You could be sayin’ that,” Chip said. “We’re goin’ t’be findin’ out what be pollutin’ the water. Then we’ll be puttin’ a stop to it!”

“A most noble quest!” Diana declared. “To you I owe my life itself, therefore permit me to be of aid to you in the vanquishing of the source of this fair stream’s foul taint.”

“Of course,” Saylee agreed. “We’re happy to have you. Wow, a _Dragonair…_ ” she couldn’t help giggling just a little. It was surreal to have such a powerful, semi-mythical Pokémon with her. “Okay, come on. I thought it was probably something in the water… and I think I know what. Not too far to go now…”

{}

The pharmacy wasn’t too hard to find. The locals were happy to give directions. After the eerily empty streets and paths around Olivine, it was comforting to see the busy beaches of Cianwood. A bell rang in the primary school as they passed, and children spilled out of the classrooms and onto the beach. People were out shopping, working, and socializing, and all of them looked happy and healthy

“Hello there,” said the apothecary, a middle-aged man with light blue hair and a good tan, coming out of a back room when he heard the bell over the pharmacy door ring. The pharmacy was a small room which didn’t seem to have walls so much as floor-to-ceiling slide-out shelves full of various plants and medicines. “I haven’t seen Pokémon like you around here before. Do you have a trainer?”

“We do, but she’s in Olivine,” Tobias said, flitting over to sit on the counter that ran across one end of the room, separating the back rooms from the customer area. “The lighthouse keeper—Lily—is really, really ill…”

“I’d heard there was illness going around in Olivine, but if Lily’s down, that’s very serious…” the apothecary said with a frown, ducking under the counter walking along the selection of medicine bottles on display. “Hmmm… how ill is she? Have the Pokémon Centre nurses been able to do anything for her?”

“Not a damn thing,” Nider said.

“Then this might call for my special potion…” the apothecary ducked back under the counter and went into his back office where he starting opening drawers, pulling out leaves and powders. “Oh, no… Ceez, at a time like this?” he pulled a small drawer right out and shook it. “There’s no thyme!”

“How?” Mary asked, panicking. “How’s there no time? We shouldae come sooner…”

“I wouldn’t have had any then either,” the apothecary sighed. He caught their confused expressions. “I’m out of _thyme_ —a herb. It has little green leaves and tiny purple flowers. Quite a bit of it grows by the waterfall… if I can get some, I can mix up my secret potion…”

“We can get it for you,” Tobias offered. “Right, guys?”

“Sure, whatever,” Nider said, backing out of the door. “Let’s get on with it already!”

“Aye, let’s shift it!” Mary called, running after him. Tobias started to follow her, but then fluttered back to the apothecary.

“Excuse me, but where _is_ the waterfall?” he asked.

“West side of town,” the apothecary said, starting to set out some beakers on the counter. “It’s pretty big, so it should be easy to spot. Just head west and follow the cliffs until you find it.”

“Thank you!” Tobias flew off to relay the directions to Nider and Mary before they wandered off in the wrong direction. It wasn’t hard to find the cliffs, which they followed closely as the apothecary had instructed.

“Look!” Mary said excitedly, spotting the water tumbling over the cliff face. “The waterfall! ‘Mon!” They started running towards it.

“Halt!”

“Mary!” Tobias yelled as two huge figures leapt towards her. Nider grabbed her by the tail and yanked her out of the way just before the attackers smashed into the dirt and left a crater where she’d been. Images of a Fearow darting towards Wendy and ripping her apart flashed through Tobias’ mind, and he felt suddenly furious.

“Och, ma tail!” Mary complained, flicking it. “Watch it!”

“You’re welcome,” Nider said sarcastically, cracking his knuckles and facing their opponents. Tobias had seen pictures of them in Professor Oak’s lab before.

“They’re a Primeape and a Poliwrath!” Tobias said warningly. “They’re _really_ strong!”

“Stay ‘way fae the wa’erfall, else yous’ll be in’eruptin’ Mr Chuck’s trainin’, see?” the Poliwrath ordered, crossing his arms.

“We’re not going to interrupt anyone’s training,” Tobias said irritably. “We just need to fetch some…”

“Naeb’dy’s ge’in’ frough ‘till Mr Chuck sez,” the Primeape said, raising his fists. “Now sod off or we’ll batter you, see?”

“Bring it oan, yous big lumps!” Mary said angrily, sparking up. The Primeape drew back his fist. Tobias focused on him.

Fighting Pokémon were, more or less by definition, far more brawn than brain. Hernan always said that he’d benefited from two clever trainers, so this wasn’t exactly true for him, but these two were hardly Hernan. They didn’t look like they could match wits with a Slowpoke. That made it so very, very easy to drive the Primeape into mental overload…

The Primeape fell over unconscious before he could even take a step towards Mary.

“Aye, that’s right!” Mary shouted, wool almost doubled in volume as a massive store of electricity built up. “Suck on this, ya dobber!”

Wool went flying everywhere as a bolt of lightning struck the Poliwrath. He keeled over twitching.

“You see what you get for gettin’ in our way?” Nider shouted, punching the air. “Booyah!”

“That was great, Mary…” Tobias said, trailing off as he stared at Mary. “Wow!”

“Yer gaunnae attract Venomoth, hangin’ yer trap open like that,” Mary said, standing up. The rest of her wool fell off and she stared down at herself in surprise. “Oh, ya chubby dancer!”

“Hey, you look like your mum!” Nider said in surprise.

“You look _amazing_ ,” Tobias said shyly. Mary grabbed him around the neck and gave him a hug.

“You were pretty amazin’ too, Tobes,” she said. “We’re a good team, eh?” She stuck her tongue out at Nider when he made gagging noises.

“I’ll swim off and leave you here,” Nider threatened.

“I’m sure Tobes’ll carry me hame,” Mary said, stooping to pick up the three pokéballs now lying among random tufts of wool on the ground.

“Hmph. I guess that wasn’t _that_ weak.”

“ _Silver_?” Tobias said in surprise, spotting the red-haired boy watching them sullenly from behind a rock. Standing at his heels was a small black Pokémon with long white claws. It had its own red fringe and sullen expression. “What are you doing here? Who’s that?”

“Took her from a stupid idiot who was just using her to show off,” Silver said flippantly. “Weakling just gave up when I threatened him. A Sneasel’s too good a Pokémon for a weakling like him.” The Sneasel preened at this.

“You came here to steal Pokémon?” Tobias said in shock.

“Pffft! _No,_ ” Silver said, flipping some of his hair out of his face. The Sneasel imitated the motion with her red tufts of fur. “I came ‘cause I heard there was a battle master here who’s a real tough warrior. Heard he uses a Primeape and a Poliwrath. But if they lost to _you_ , they’re not that tough. No point in staying here. Later, losers.” He turned and ran off, the Sneasel sneering at them and following.

“Haud it!” Mary shouted, starting after him. She stopped abruptly and looked back at the waterfall. “That thyme…”

“I’ll fly up and get it, you go after him!” Tobias said. Mary nodded and ran off with Nider in tow. Tobias flew up the waterfall, looking for the plant that the apothecary had described. He spotted the little purple flowers growing at the edge of the cliff over which the waterfall fell. He picked as many as he could carry and, clutching them tightly, flew back down the waterfall.

A man stepped out of the water at the bottom. He was as big and beefy as the Poliwrath, his hair and moustache both brown and spiky.

“Well, hallo there, little fairy!” He boomed. “Are you the reason the flow of the waterfall changed?” he looked around. “Where’re Mal an’ Payton? They better not be skivin’ off their trainin’!”

“They’re, uh, kind of unconscious,” Tobias said, nervously buzzing around, desperate to go deliver the thyme. “What do you mean, the waterfall changed?”

“Wasn’t you, eh?” the big man said, frowning. “Funny thing. Trust me, little guy, I’ve trained under this waterfall every day for twenty years. It know its moods, and it’s never been so _alive_ …”

“I’ve gotta go find my friends,” Tobias said, pressing the flowers into the big man’s hands. “Can you do me a favour and take these to the apothecary for me?”

“Well, little one, if you beat Mal and Payton, they owe you that service at least!” the man laughed, taking the flowers. “I’ll wake ‘em up…”

“Thank you!” Tobias called, flying off. He didn’t know anything about waterfalls, but he did get the feeling that something was coming from over the sea, and it was headed straight towards the end of the beach that his friends and Silver had run to…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bought that Dratini at the Game Corner in Goldenrod rather than taking the Eevee, but for many and various and mostly obvious reasons I didn’t want to write Saylee buying a Pokémon, so she finds her instead. So after some level-grinding to get her up to strength, my team now sports a Dragonair! :D
> 
> I made a few other catches, but none of them are team or plot-relevant, so they’ve been skimmed over in the story and listed here.
> 
> Name: Diana. Species: Dratini. Nature: Naïve. Ability: Shed Skin. Level: 15
> 
> Name: Tilly. Species: Tentacool. Nature: Impish. Ability: Liquid Ooze. Level: 13
> 
> Name: Karl. Species: Krabby. Nature: Hardy. Ability: Shell Armour. Level: 16
> 
> Name: Selene. Species: Staryu. Nature: Serious. Ability: Illuminate. Level: 19
> 
> Name: Verity. Species: Vulpix. Nature: Modest. Ability: Flash Fire. Level: 22


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 18 
> 
> Deaths: 1

The trees and plants soon gave way to cleared, flattened land with stakes and flags at regular intervals staking out a crude floorplan. The Battle Complex was clearly going to be a large-scale operation.

“Here we are,” Saylee said, pointing to a metal frame protruding from the middle of the construction site. It was surrounded by bright yellow construction equipment. “Never seen equipment like that functioning before… Cranes, bulldozers, wow, even a steamroller. This is a _big_ project. Back home, if you want flat land, someone’s got to stomp it down for you. Machop are quite good at that…”

“What’s that then?” Chip said, staring at the metal framework.

“The Trainer Tower that Sir Geoffrey and the people in Olivine were talking about,” Saylee said, walking towards the site. “And if they have all that mechanical construction equipment, there’s something they’re going to need. Oi!” She yelled at a man in a hard yellow hat. “Excuse me, but who’s in charge here?”

“Not you,” the man said, scowling. “This is a restricted area. Bugger off!”

“The fouls words rolling from your tongue are most unwarranted,” Diana said, arching over them menacingly. “Defy us not, hardheaded man, for we are on a quest of great import. Where is thy master?”

“Security!” the man yelled over his shoulder. “Look, girl, don’t you go startin’ around here…”

“We’re starting nothing,” Saylee said, digging for pokéballs. “I’ll even put everyone away. Is that okay with everyone?” Chip nodded and Georgia shrugged. “Diana?”

“I shall yield,” Diana said, bowing her head, “if you deem it amenable to a peaceful resolution, Lady Lyra.”

“Just Lyra or Lee, please,” Saylee said, putting Diana into a pokéball and returning Georgia and Chip. “See? Unarmed. Now, who’s in charge, _please_?”

“Is there a problem?” A big security Machamp said, crossing one set of arms and crackling the knuckles of the other set.

“Not at all,” Saylee said sweetly. “I just want to speak to whoever’s in charge. Or if you like, I could go explain to the police how you’re the ones polluting the water…”

“What?!” the construction worker burst out. “We’re doing nothing of the sort!”

“Not on purpose, maybe, but trust me, it’s happening and a lot of people are very sick,” Saylee said testily. “Now are we going to keep wasting time or do I get to talk to somebody important?”

The Machamp had produced a radio—Saylee had no idea where from and didn’t really want to know—and was muttering into it. Then he pointed at Saylee.

“You,” he said, “come with me to see the foreman.”

“With pleasure,” Saylee said, stalking past the obstructive construction worker. She was quite glad that had worked. She didn’t want to have to attack the construction site. After all, the workers weren’t cruel or evil, just kind of dumb.

Several box houses had been set up on the site. The Machamp led Saylee to a standalone with a sign on the door saying “Foreman’s Office”. Inside, a large man with a double chin and a visi-vest over a suit was sitting behind a desk with a holoscreen in it, judging by the glowing, semitransparent floorplans hovering over it. He pressed a button and they vanished.

“Now then, young lady,” the man said with a smile, “what seems to be the trouble?”

“Where do you distil your gas?” Saylee asked. “Those machines out there need the pure liquid stuff, not the cheap gas that motorbikes run on. A big company like this can afford to distil its own, I’m sure, and I did see a couple of Weezing floating around out there. So where do you distil it, and what do you do with the runoff?”

“Now, now, we’re a clean-energy company,” the foreman said patronizingly. “All of our gas is runoff-free…”

“Aye, right,” Saylee cut him off, scowling. It had to be the pigtails. You never looked much older than twelve with pigtails. Pokémon trainers tended to command a certain degree of respect regardless of age, but right now all of her Pokémon were stowed away. Of course, the whole reason she was wearing pigtails and the stupid hat these days was to help any Rockets she ran into to dismiss her as no threat rather than instantly raise the alarm. It had worked well enough in the Slowpoke Well—Proton, whom she’d come face to face with in the Sevii Islands, hadn’t recognized her—but an unfortunate side-effect was that she was also not being taken seriously by these dolts.

Saylee pull off her hat and yanked out her hairbands, combing her hands through her hair a couple of times until it fell to her shoulders. Then she put her hands on her hips and glared at the foreman. “There’s _always_ runoff. You can minimize it, but the whole point of distilling it instead of just chilling it enough to liquefy is to get _rid_ of all of the junk that you’re burning into the air otherwise. We’ve all heard about what happened in Kanto over the mountains…” she shook her head. “Look, I’m no chemist, but I know the symptoms of polluted water. Your runoff is getting into the water, which used to be so clean that the people in Olivine don’t even own bloody water filters or boil their water! You realize that a whole city, and all the farms around it, are sick because of you?!”

“Now look, you can’t blame that on me, I don’t distil the stuff!” the foreman protested.

“But you’re in charge!” Saylee argued. “That means _you’re_ responsible for _everything_ that goes on here!” She sighed. “Look, I’m not here to get into a fight. We wouldn’t be talking right now if I was. I’m here to say that there’s a problem that _you’re_ responsible for fixing, and it doesn’t matter if it was an accident or on purpose because it needs fixed _now_ , got it?”

“Listen, missy,” the foreman growled, “if you think you can just walk in here and tell me how to run my building site—”

Saylee cut off his rant by finally losing her temper and releasing Chip and Georgia. The office was too small for Diana, but Chip and Georgia were enough. Georgia caught the security Machamp’s lunge towards them.

“Is him not goin’ t’be fixin’ it?” Chip asked, quickly assessing the situation and flaring up. There was a strained grunt from Georgia, and then two heavy _thump_ s that shook the room.

Saylee looked back to see that the _thump_ s were Georgia developing feet, as well as two more arms that allowed her to hold tight onto all four of the Machamp’s wrists. Her feet had also spawned on top of the Machamp’s. A good blow from a Machamp could shatter a Graveller, but only if the Machamp could move.

“You know, you could be rid of us by now,” Saylee commented to the foreman, “if we’d just go have a look at the gas distillery…”

{}

The problem was immediately apparent. The runoff was being collected into a stone pit near the river, where it was being left under a cover to stagnate. The panelling around the pit must have been cracked, allowing the runoff to seep into the soil. Diana peered under the water and confirmed that the source of the poison was seeping out of the earth on the riverbanks.

“Get yourself some Grimer,” Saylee advised. “They drink that stuff like it’s a milkshake. Only for Mew’s sake don’t let _them_ near the water, _especially_ if any of them evolve into a Muk. I’m just going to go ahead and tell the citizens of Olivine that you’ve promised to do this from now on.”

The foreman glanced at the distillery thoughtfully. “So… it won’t cost anything to feed them and we won’t have to pay to ship this shit out anymore?”

Saylee sighed and sat down on the riverbank as the foreman hurried off, ordering his subordinates to hire some Grimer. The oily tint to her reflection, here at the source, was all too familiar.

Georgia sat down next to her, also staring at her distorted reflection in the river with a morose expression. “Are you okay?” Saylee asked. “How do you feel? It must be a lot to get used to, four more limbs and all…”

“Oi’m alroight wi’ it,” Georgia muttered. “If oi’d just evolved a couple days ago…”

“It wouldn’t have saved Wendy, Georgia,” Saylee said, putting her hand on Georgia’s lower left arm. “It happened so fast… nobody saw it coming. No amount of strength could have saved her. You promised you wouldn’t blame yourself…”

“Oi know, but…” Georgia stared at Saylee. “Oi don’t know what’s worse, thinkin’ oi could’ve saved ‘er an’ didn’t or thinkin’ there weren’t nothin’ anyone could do…”

“Does it make a difference now?” Saylee sighed. “Besides, if it’s anyone’s fault, it’s certainly not yours…”

Something bright and shining flashed past her vision. Glancing down, she saw the water shimmer and then become so clear that she couldn’t even see it. She could count every pebble at the bottom of the river, which had to be eight feet deep in the middle. Looking downstream, she saw a shining blue creature running on the water towards the sea. It glowed with a familiar light.

“Suicune!” she shouted, scrambling to her feet and running off in pursuit.

{}

Silver suddenly stopped dead on the seafront, staring across the ocean.

“What’s up with him?” Nider asked, looking across the sea. “What the hell’s he starin’ at?”

“I’ve… nae clue,” Mary muttered, watching the boy uneasily. “D’ye see that?”

“What?” Nider said, squinting at where she quickly pointed before grasping back at the pokéballs that she nearly dropped. Tobias fluttered past them, staring at the sea.

“I see it,” he said. “That shimmer?” Mary nodded. “A weird guy that was training in the waterfall said the water’s gone all funny, too…”

“Go away,” Silver snapped at them, putting the Sneasel in a pokéball. He didn’t look around at the three of them, staring fixedly at the shimmer on the water. “I don’t want any weaklings chasing her off this time.”

“Who?” Mary asked.

Tobias gasped. “Suicune!” he said, pointing.

Suicune was _fast_. No sooner had it appeared over the horizon than it was skidding to a halt on the water before Silver. Waves split before they reached it, leaving it standing in a circle of flat, glass-smooth water.

“There you are, Suicune,” Silver said, watching it paw at the water. It bowed its head at the sound of its name. “You’re really powerful, huh?” He reached out his hand to it, but suddenly withdrew, glaring at something behind Suicune. “GO AWAY!” he shouted.

Suicune turned and ran down the seafront. It was gone in an instant. At that same moment, a man in a purple suit and white cape dropped down, clutching the ankle of a Jumpluff.

“Beautiful! Magnificent! Astonishing!” Eusine declared excitedly. “After all my years of searching, to have come so close!”

“Go away, you stupid poof,” Silver snarled, stalking off down the beach. “You’re weak and annoying. You ruined it! You scared her away!”

“Such rudeness! Where are your manners?” Eusine said with a frown. “I cannot imagine why Suicune would have tarried with _you_.”

“Because I’m not _weak_ like you!” Silver yelled, rounding on him.

“Ah-ha!” Eusine said, grinning. “Then what do you say to a battle, hmm? Prove that you are indeed strong enough for Suicune! The victor will no doubt be deemed worthy in the fine creature’s eyes!”

“Fine!” Silver said, releasing Zeb. Tobias was surprised to see that Zeb had evolved into a large Golbat. “I won’t lose to a pathetic poof like you!”

“Language, young man,” Eusine said, frowning again. “Druce, I think we had better teach this boy some manners.” With a flourish, he released a fat yellow-and-brown Drowzee. “Confusion!”

“Confuse ray!” Silver ordered. The two Pokémon’s eyes glowed as each tried to bamboozle the other. Zeb suddenly fell from the sky, flapping desperately with one wing as he seemed to lose control of the other.

“A ‘bat like you cannot outdo _my_ psychic powers,” Druce said, waving his hands in complex patterns. “Shall I hypnotize him?”

“Please do,” Eusine said. “And then your dream eater, I think.” Zeb collapsed, unconscious, and began to whimper as Druce fed on his energy while he slept.

“Useless! Get back here!” Silver complained, returning Zeb. “ _You_ get this done! Shadow ball!”

“A ghost?” Eusine said in surprise as Silver’s ghost, Gareth, appeared. He too had evolved, into a Haunter.

Gareth’s disembodied hands rolled an orb of pure blackness and flung it at Druce, who was knocked off of his feet with a wail of pain and failed to rise.

“Druce!” Eusine cried. “Well, fair play to you, young man, you held the advantage! But when attempting to control a ghost, your volatile emotions will hold you both back…” he released a Gastly. “Geary, I do appreciate your offer of assistance. We must defeat this poor soul.”

“I don’t need your _pity_ ,” Gareth said scornfully. “Are we going to fight or what?”

“Hypnosis!” Eusine ordered.

“No way you’re getting to pull that sneaky crap again!” Silver said, returning Gareth and releasing his newly stolen Sneasel. “You, show me what you can do!”

“Against a ghost? All sorts of fun things,” she said, raising her claws. Geary’s eyes glowed as he began to hypnotize her. She instantly collapsed.

“Already? What good is that?” Silver demanded.

“Finish her with a lick,” Eusine ordered. Geary floated over to the fallen Sneasel. He was caught completely off-guard when her claws, suddenly tinged with black, slashed through him.

“Plenty of good, thank you,” she said to Silver. “That’s a Faint Attack, and it’s a _lot_ of fun, as you can see.”

“Well, _you’re_ not useless,” Silver said approvingly as Eusine was forced to return the unresponsive Geary.

“Well, isn’t this something,” he said. “I didn’t expect to end up down to Vash! You may be worthy of Suicune’s regard after all…” he released a large, crackling electrode. “But not as much as I! Vash! Thunder!”

“Ooft aye,” Mary murmured. “That’s the strongest ‘leccy power there is…”

“Mum told me that it’s powerful, but not very accurate,” Tobias said, watching Vash fling huge volts of electricity at the Sneasel, who dodged each one nimbly.

“Try _this_!” she said, slashing her claws again. Ice crystals formed in the air as a blast of freezing wind hit Vash.

“Nice!” Silver yelled. “Freeze that weakling!”

“Easy enough,” she responded, dodging another round of Thunder and blasting more frozen air at Vash, freezing the Electrode into a solid lump of ice.

“Now smash him!” Silver shouted excitedly. Before the Sneasel could move, though, Eusine returned Vash.

“Such a volatile assault on an _Electrode_ , of all things, is _not_ recommended,” he chastised Silver. “I shall concede for today. But from what I have seen, this was more your Pokémon’s victory than yours, child. Until you respect your Pokémon enough to realize their full potential, you shall never be worthy of one such as Suicune!” He bowed to Tobias, Nider and Mary. “You are Saylee’s Tobias, are you not? Do give her my regards. Come, Helene! We must follow Suicune’s path!” he released his Jumpluff again. Even with him clinging to her ankle, Helene ascended and flew away quickly.

“That was cool,” Silver said to the Sneasel. “You’re _really_ strong. I definitely need you on my team.”

“Hey, it’s better than sitting around like a trophy pet,” she snorted. “By the way, my name’s Siren, since you never asked.”

“Silver,” Silver said shortly, returning her to her pokéball, “and I don’t really care, so long as you’re really strong.” He glared at Saylee’s Pokémon. “You want to fight too?”

“Not really,” Tobias said, fluttering nervously towards the human boy. “Silver… Eusine’s right, you’re really tough, so if you were just nicer to your Pokémon…”

“Nobody ever gets anywhere by being _nice_ ,” Silver spat at them. “I don’t have time to waste with you weaklings. I’m gonna go find somebody who’s actually _strong_ to fight.” He released Tyra. “C’mon, Tyra, we’re out of here.”

“Sure,” Tyra said. “’Sup, losers.” She was quite a bit larger than before, large enough to easily carry Silver on her back as she dived into the sea and swam away. Tobias started to fly after him.

“Let ‘im go, he’ll probably run into Saylee that way anyway,” Nider said, grabbing Tobias by the leg. “We need those meds before we go anywhere, right?”

“Aye, the… the medicine!” Mary gasped. “Rai a’mighty—the flowers—!”

“It’s okay, Mary,” Tobias said quickly. “I got the weird guy at the waterfall to run to the apothecary with them. He’s probably mixed it up by now.”

Mary gave a loud _baa_ of joy and hugged Tobias around the neck. “Yer a genius, Tobes!” she said, kissing him on the cheek. “A right angel, you are!”

“I-It’s nothing,” Tobias stuttered. Nider sniggered. “…You shut up.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 18 
> 
> Deaths: 1

It was growing dark by the time Saylee returned to Olivine.

“C’mon, let’s be gettin’ back t’ the lighthouse and seein’ if the others are bein’ back yet!” Chip said excitedly. “We can be introducin’ Diana t’them, an’ showin’ them Georgia!”

“I’ll put you guys away for now,” Saylee said, getting their pokéballs out. “It’ll make people less twitchy, and Diana won’t fit in the elevator anyway. Neither will Georgia now, come to think of it.”

Lily’s room was much the same as it had been the previous day, only much darker. The sun had set completely by the time Saylee stepped into the mirror maze. She felt more comfortable feeling her way through in the dark than being able to see her endless images. When a small amount of light filtered through her closed eyes, she opened them again to see Jasmine still sitting by Lily’s side, nursing the sick Ampharos.

“Oh,” Saylee said, feeling guilty at the way that Jasmine’s face lit up when she saw her. “I’m sorry, I don’t have the medicine. Some of my Pokémon went to Cianwood to get it…”

“Oh… I guess that’s better for avoiding Lugia’s anger,” Jasmine said sadly. “It’s okay. Lily’s strong. She can hold out.”

But Lily didn’t look like she could hold out. Her skin was so pale as to nearly be white all over, and her breathing was laboured. Saylee clutched Diana’s pokéball, thinking that the dragon could probably fly across the sea. The others should have been back by now…

“I’ll go look for them,” Saylee said, negotiating her way back out of the maze of mirrors.

The elevator button lit up before she even touched it. Saylee breathed a sigh of relief and stepped back.

“We’ve got it!” shouted an Ampharos as she ran out of the lift, waving a small blue bottle. She was followed by Tobias, carrying an armful of pokéballs, and a rather damp Nider.

“ _Mary_?” Saylee gasped, staring at the tall yellow Pokémon as she disappeared into the mirrors.

“She evolved! Isn’t it great?” Tobias said excitedly, handing the pokéballs back to Saylee and giving her a hug. “Hey, did you see Silver?”

“Silver? He was here?” Saylee said, slapping herself on the forehead. “I only got back just now…”

“Oh… he left Cianwood ages before we did,” Tobias said, looking crestfallen. “He’s probably way away by now.”

“What was he doing there?” Saylee asked, kicking herself for missing the kid so closely once again.

“Well, he stole a guy’s Pokémon,” Nider said, “then had some kind of weird meeting with Suicune, then she—the kid seems to think it’s a her, I dunno—ran away when that weird Eusine guy showed up, then Silver kicked his _ass,_ and they both went off in different directions. Does any of that make any sense to anybody?”

“Not quite yet,” Saylee said, heading back through the mirrors to sit next to Jasmine while she fed the medicine to Lily. Lily visibly recovered quickly—colour was returning to her skin and a spark to her tail even before Saylee, Nider and Tobias reached the middle of the mirrors. Once the vial was drained, she opened her eyes and sat up.

“Maw!” Mary said happily, hugging her. “You ought tae rest mair. You only got better the now!”

“I’m feelin’ plenty braw, dear,” Lily said, nuzzling her daughter’s head and standing up. Though Mary was an Ampharos now, her mother was quite a bit taller than her. Unlike humans, Pokémon never really stopped growing as they got older and stronger, and Lily was clearly strong for an Ampharos. She brightened her tail glow, and everyone flung their hands over their eyes as the room filled with light. Peeking through her fingers, Saylee could see mirror after mirror reflecting the bright light around the room and out across the sea.

“It’s so _pretty_ ,” Tobias gasped.

“Maw’s the best, in’t she?” Mary said proudly. “This light can be seen aw the way in Cianwood!”

“I’m so glad,” Jasmine sighed in relief.

“It was toxic waste getting into the water,” Saylee told her. “Trace amounts, but enough to make people ill once they’d drunk enough. I’m guessing the people who didn’t catch it are fond of Pecha leaf tea? I met one woman who was… anyway, the Trainer Tower builders are responsible. Though they didn’t do it on purpose, they _will_ be taking responsibility for it.”

“The water?” Jasmine said in surprise. “Oh… I-I didn’t realize… the water from the river’s always been so clean, I never thought…”

“The more you know,” Saylee sigh. “Still… I saw Suicune down the river. I think it’s been purified…”

“That is wonderful,” Jasmine said with a smile. “But the matter of the Trainer Tower must still be dealt with to ensure that this trouble does not arise again… I will see to that first thing in the morning. Afterwards…” she twisted her hands nervously. “Would you, um… care to have a battle with me?”

“A battle?” Saylee said in surprise. “You’re a trainer?”

“Yes, if you please,” Jasmine said shyly. “Your Pokémon, um, seem very well-trained. I, well, I don’t often face an, um, sincere challenge. My, um, my Pokémon are really rather strong. If Lily hadn’t needed constant care and, um, protection, I promise I would have gone to , um, to deal with the matter myself…” she bowed. “I am very sorry that that duty fell to you today… I shall handle it myself in, um, the future…”

“Uh, sure,” Saylee said, though she was having trouble picturing the wispy girl handling the stubborn foreman. She wondered what kind of Pokémon Jasmine used.

“How about tomorrow afternoon, after I return from the construction site?” Jasmine suggested. She politely stifled a yawn with the back of her hand.

“You been sittin’ up wi’ me fer _ages_ , Jaz,” Lily said, giving her a hug. “Away an’ get yersel’ some shuteye. Got tae keep sharp tae keep Olly an’ they two on their toes!”

“I’m gaunnae stay here the night, Lee,” Mary said. “I’d like tae spend some time wi’ Maw, if that’s awright.”

“Aye, ‘mon an’ keep me up wi’ stories about yer adventures!” Lily said. “I want tae hear aw about your pals here!”

“Let’s, um, go and give them some mother-daughter time, shall we?” Jasmine suggested. Saylee nodded and returned Nider.

“Night, guys,” Mary called.

“Good night, Mary!” Tobias said before he was returned.

“See you tomorrow, you two,” Saylee said, following Jasmine out of the maze.

{}

Tobias and Chip were very welcoming to Diana, and Nider, while snarky, seemed pleased to meet the beautiful dragon. Georgia, however, just gave her a wave and then stepped out into the hostel’s empty back garden. Saylee followed her out and saw her walking around and around, stretching her arms and stamping her feet.

Saylee could tell that Georgia was tense, as she had been back in Goldenrod. Saylee didn’t say a word but simply sat down and waited for her to speak.

Finally, grudgingly, bitterly, Georgia said, “you replaced ‘er.”

“Wendy’s irreplaceable,” Saylee said. “I didn’t really mean to wind up with Diana, but a dragon’s life debt is legendarily serious business. They say that it’s one of the only ways to train them, since their respect is extremely difficult to earn.” She sighed. “They’re not the only ones, I guess.”

“Oi do loike you, Lee,” Georgia said. “You loike us an’ you’re good to us an’ folk in general. But you loi, an’ when… when Wendy…” her voice broke a little. “Sure, you mourned, an’ then you were done with it an’ moved on, loike nothin’ were really wrong.”

“I cried, a long time ago,” Saylee said. “I curled up and didn’t speak. I prayed for the world to stop. But it never did, Georgia, no matter how much I wanted it to.” She reached out and put her hand on Georgia’s upper-left arm. It was solid stone but as warm as living flesh. “It hasn’t stopped now, either, and won’t turn back. I had to learn and accept that a long time ago. I learned to deal with death by making it mean something.”

“What’d Wendy’s death mean then, eh?” Georgia asked forlornly. “What’d she doi for?”

“You could say that she died because people were sick and scared,” Saylee said. “You could say that it was because the foreman is a tight-arsed bastard. And then you want to rain fire and blood on him because he _deserves_ it, because that’s an _awful_ thing to die for.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve seen friends die for revenge. It doesn’t work. Doesn’t put you in the right, it just puts you down in the wrong with whoever you’re revenging on. Wendy was very proper, she wouldn’t like it.” She smiled wanly as she patted Georgia’s arm again.

“…Oi think _oi’d_ loike it,” Georgia said sullenly.

“Not for long. Besides, the people here weren’t scared and violent because of the construction site. They were scared because of the scum that came to pick them off when they were weak.”

“Team Rocket.” Georgia cracked all of her knuckles, a long and noisy process. “Lee… oi know you got your old Pokémon, all trained an’ tough t’foight Team Rocket, but oi still want in.”

“We’re going after them for the sake of all of the innocent people and Pokémon that they’re going to hurt,” Saylee said. “Revenge for the ones that they _have_ is a pleasant bonus, but not the object.”

“That how you see it, moi love?” Georgia asked. Saylee took the return of the endearment as a good sign.

“The intent probably doesn’t make any difference… I’m still going to take them down either way,” Saylee said with a shrug. “But thinking that way helps me feel that I’m in the right.”

“You know what oi think, moi love?” Georgia said. “Oi think you thinks too much.”

“Probably,” Saylee laughed. “Hey, I read something interesting about Graveller, and I wonder if you want to try it out…”

{}

“I never been meetin’ a dragon before,” Chip said, bowing his head to Diana.

“Thought you guys were just legends,” Nider said, winking. “No problem whatsoever with you bein’ real, though.”

“It’ll be fun having her with us, won’t it?” Chip said. Nider and Tobias nodded.

“You have mine gratitude most sincere for your warm and effusive welcome,” Diana said smoothly, bowing her head to them. “Though I perceive that something doth trouble the shining fey?”

“…Toby?” Chip ventured after a moment.

“Me?” Tobias said in surprise. “Oh! I’m sorry, Diana, it’s not you. I just… I’m going to miss Mary…”

“Why? She goin’ somewhere?” Nider asked.

“She joined up ‘cause she wanted to get strong enough to be a lighthouse keeper like her mum,” Tobias said forlornly. “And we were coming here anyways to look into rumours about Rockets. Now we’re here, and she’s strong…”

“In seeking only to match our parents, we do ourselves most grievous wrong.” Diana said thoughtfully. “Such a low target is worth but naught. Is it not the great strive of life since life began to exceed itself in all things? It is to surpass the best in ourselves for which we must strike.”

“...So does that mean she’s comin’ or goin’?” Nider wanted to know.

“It means we’ll be findin’ out when we’re seein’ Mary tomorrow,” Chip replied. He spotted Diana curiously nudging Saylee’s dreamcatcher. “Careful! Her’s proper fond of that…”

“A weave of tokens of the dead and foreign powers most queer,” Diana mused. “Such a strange human is Lady Lyra to sleep sound as a newhatched Abra under a force so primeval. Even to mine eyes…” she nudged the bag containing two gem fragments. “’Tis old, and mighty as the mountains and seas. What might be the nature of such a thing?”

“You’d have to be askin’ Lee,” Chip said, glancing out of the window where he could see Georgia and Saylee talking about something. “Her’s never telt us.”

“She doesn’t know,” Tobias said, peering at the little bag. “I was just a newhatched, but I remember when she got them. Team Rocket tried to steal them because they were powerful, but what kind of power… they kind of cancel each other out when they’re together,” he said thoughtfully. “On their own, the blue one makes water Pokémon funny and the red one—well, Chaz, he’s a Charizard, he said he heard something from it…”

“Ancient powers, and not of this land,” Diana mused. “A great many dragons do live in mine homeland, as ‘tis a place of great power, yet I did leave to seek strengths not to be found there. Already it seems that there are strange things to be found. No doubt I will do well among mine new allies.” She bowed her head to them. “I say once again, well met and blessings upon all, for we have much to share and to learn. It shall be a pleasure.”

“I’m sure it will,” Nider chuckled.

{}

Jasmine, to Saylee’s surprise, lived inside of the huge forge and metalworks at one end of the docks. The skeleton of a half-constructed ship sat inside, but there were no construction workers around. They were probably nursing sick families or sick themselves. Suicune had purified the water and no new filth was going into it, but it would still take a while for the toxin to get out of everyone’s systems.

The only sign of life was a figure in a wispy dress, steel mask and heavy gloves welding hull parts together on the side of the ship. It was a surreal sight; the mask alone looked like it weighed more than she did. “How did you stay healthy, Jasmine?” Saylee asked. “Are you secretly made of steel or something?”

“Oh, nothing like that,” Jasmine said in a muffled voice, setting down the welding torch. She carefully lifted off the mask and set it on the floor. “You were right on about the pecha tea… I’m addicted to it myself. I thought the bathroom was starting to smell a little funny, but I supposed that mould was growing somewhere… nobody suspected the water…” the gloves hit the floor next to the mask.

“Well, the more you know…” Saylee looked around. Without the construction workers, the place actually had a lot of empty space. “Do you battle here a lot?”

“Oh, yes,” Jasmine said shyly, reaching up and taking off the hairnet that she’d tucked her long brown hair into. “We’ll have to move a little farther away from the ship, of course… don’t want to damage it…” she bowed her head to shake her hair out and then snapped her head up, flicking her hair over her shoulder. There was a sharp, sudden change in her demeanour; all shyness was gone as she looked Saylee in the eye and grinned confidently.

“Shall we?” she said, raising her first pokéball and giving it a little kiss before flinging it across the room to a large area of clear floor space.

It was a Magnemite. Jasmine ran over and jumped up to stand on a girder that was lying on the ground behind it, sweeping her arm to indicate the battle space, a large expanse of empty metal floor with a few marks painted on it. It was likely usually used for storage, or maybe a workspace for the builders and smiths who usually worked there. Saylee moved to the appropriate facing position and released Georgia.

“Alroight, moy love, what’ve we got ‘ere?” Georgia said, rolling her arms. “Pfft! Just a ‘moite!”

“Rock Throw,” Saylee ordered.

“Supersonic!” Jasmine countered. Her Magnemite began to buzz, but Georgia and her Quick Claw were faster. The first rock she threw smashed the Magnemite to the ground before it could do a thing.

“Oh dear,” Jasmine said, returning her Magnemite. “Poor Mac. We shall have to see to a change in tactics. Mic, dodge it!”

“Rock throw again!” Saylee ordered the second Jasmine flung out her second pokéball. The second Magnemite ought to have gone the way of the first, but it zipped out of the way impossibly fast. There was a _clang_ as it stuck to a pile of scrap metal and then detached itself. Georgia attacked again, throwing rocks from both of her upper arms—she wasn’t entirely used to having four at her disposal yet—but again Mic vanished. There was a distant _clang_ as it hit the ceiling.

“I don’t know what she’s building up to, but let’s not wait and see,” Saylee muttered. “If only we could hit it…”

Georgia hefted another rock. “Oi’m quoite good at calculatin’ trajectories, moy love.” She raised the rock and aimed it at Mic, who began to dodge towards the anvil. The rock hit him halfway there. “Took me a minute t’get t’speed, roight enough.”

“It looks like she’s an electric trainer, so this’ll be a piece of cake,” Saylee said encouragingly.

“Y’know, this is fun,” Jasmine said, returning Mic. “I’m glad you’re good. I always love the next bit. You think you know what we’re all about, don’t you?”

Saylee shrugged noncommittally, although Jasmine’s grin was unsettling. “You’re pretty changeable.”

“Oooh, I can’t stand the suspense anymore!” Jasmine said, flinging her last pokéball into the air. “Time for you to meet my Olly!”

At first, Saylee took the huge shape that was forming to be an unusually large Onix. Then the rematerialization light faded and she saw the gleam of steel.

“Okay, what the _hell_ is that?” Saylee asked, clicking open her Pokédex. All that came up was a name: _Steelix_.

“I’m the first person to really study Steelix,” Jasmine said proudly, running a hand over Olly’s side. “They’re very rarely seen, but I’ll be able to publish the first proper study on how they form and how they live very soon. I met Olly on a dig for ore, you see. He was _very_ deep down.”

“Is he an evolved Onix?” Saylee asked, staring in awe at the huge creature.

“I was an Onix once, long ago,” Olly rumbled. “The pressures of deepest earth made me hard, strong. I grew strong long ago…”

“He’s over a hundred years old, I believe,” Jasmine said, “and _very_ strong indeed. Your boulders won’t even chip his steel hide! Iron tail, Olly!”

Olly was deceptively quick for his size. Georgia barely rolled out of the way of the descending tail. The entire room shook.

“Georgia!” Saylee shouted. “Your new move! Power it up with the forge! It’ll be the only way to hurt him!”

“Oi see!” Georgia jumped up onto Olly’s tail and made a sound like clicking her tongue. A spark jumped out and became a stream of fire. Olly roared in pain as the flamethrower hit.

“Fine _flames_ , little pebble,” he growled, flicking Georgia away with his tail, “but too weak!”

“Oi thought so,” Georgia said, pulling herself up by the anvil. “Only learnt it yesterday, din’t oi? So oi think oi’ll troi this.” She reached out with two hands and grabbed fistfuls of coals, shoving them into her mouth and chewing them as if they were handfuls of sweets. Embers dripped from her mouth as she opened it and made the same clicking sound, sending out a much larger blast of fire than before and burning Olly much worse.

“Not… enough!” Olly growled triumphantly, slamming his tail down on Georgia. She caught it with all four arms, shakily holding it up inches above her head. It turned into a test of strength, both shaking as Olly’s tail pressed down on Georgia. They stayed that way for several long minutes.

Olly suddenly shuddered and roared weakly. Then collapsed, falling still onto the ground.

“Olly!” Jasmine shouted, running over to his head, stroking him and peering at his eyes. Then she ran down his body until she found the source of his pain.

“You burned him,” she said in surprise. “It must have been the first attack… so that did the trick after all, hmm?”

“Brilliant, Georgia!” Saylee said, running over to her. “Well done. And we’ll work on that Flamethrower. For its first combat use, it worked really well, didn’t it?”

“Oi think you moight loike foire a bit too much, moy love,” Georgia said dryly.

Olly vanished as Jasmine returned him. “That was very well fought,” she said shyly. “It was a lot of fun… thank you.” She bowed politely, quiet and demure again.

“You’re a very different person when you battle,” Saylee noted. “A lot… less quiet.”

“Oh,” Jasmine said, blushing. “I feel much more confident with my Pokémon, especially Olly... doesn’t it make you happy, to be with your Pokémon?”

“More than anything in the world,” Saylee said, smiling at Georgia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That awesome moment where you realize that Graveler can learn Flamethrower.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 18 
> 
> Deaths: 1

“Stayin’ here?” Mary laughed. “Aye, right!” Tobias hugged her happily.

“I’m so glad you’re staying!” he said brightly. “I would’ve really really _really_ missed you…” he blushed and _eeped_ when Mary gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Are you sure?” Saylee asked. “I thought you wanted to come work with your mother…”

“Naw,” Mary said, shaking her head and gazing back up at the lighthouse. “Maw’s fine noo, an’ even evolved I’m no’ half as braw as she is. So I’m gaunnae stick wi’ yous for now. ‘Sides…” her tail glowed red. “Those Rocket bastarts came after ma maw when she wis weak. That’s no gaunnae fly. I’m gaunnae batter ‘em, if you’ll let me. An’ if you winnae, I’ll go aff on my ain an’ dae it.”

Saylee gave her a hug. “No need for that, Mary,” she said. “We’ll take out Team Rocket together. There’s still one lead we haven’t checked out.”

“Where’s that?” Mary asked.

“I think it’s well past time,” Saylee said, bringing up her pokégear map, “that we investigate the unusual Pokémon behaviour at the Lake of Rage.”

{}

“So that’s Mt Mortar, huh?” Nider said as they swam past the high mountain. It wasn’t much compared to the mountain range between Johto and Kanto, but it still loomed imposingly over them. Green trees covered most of the sides, but barren rock rose out above them at the mountain’s peak.

. Saylee and Mary were sitting on Nider’s back, Saylee navigating and Mary zapping any challenging water Pokémon. Saylee had taken interest in an unusually-coloured Goldeen, but Mary had zapped it before Saylee could stop her. Tobias was flying at Saylee’s shoulder just because. “Just looks like a big chunk of rock,” Nider continued.

“I’m just glad we don’t have to go _through_ it to get to Mahogany,” Saylee said, glancing up at the sun. “Tell you what, we haven’t had lunch yet, so how about we stop at that grove over there?” she pointed to a spot on an island just ahead of them.

“Good times,” Mary said, zapping another Goldeen lazily. “I’m _starved_.”

“Me too…” Tobias said. He trailed off into a frown and then looked around sharply. “Lee, look!”

Saylee turned to see Suicune bound past, running across the water like it was earth. Just as before, wherever its paws touched the water, the surface shimmered like crystal.

It actually paused for a moment, sniffing at them before bounding away again. It was gone as quickly as it appeared.

“There she goes! Majestic, is she not?”

“Eusine!” Saylee called, spotting the flamboyant man floating down towards the same berry grove as them with his Jumpluff. “I didn’t expect to see you here. How are you?”

“Enchanted. Enthralled!” Eusine sang. “Oh, what a sight! Well worth leaving Ecruteak for!”

“You were in Cianwood too!” Tobias recalled.

“Aye, where you got yer arse handed tae ye by Silver!” Mary chuckled.

“Do not remind me!” Eusine wailed. “Such humiliation in front of my beloved Suicune—!”

“Why are you so obsessed with Suicune, Eusine?” Saylee said as they set foot on the island. She released the rest of her Pokémon. “Lunchtime, guys!”

“Hi, Eusine!” Chip said, waving.

“Good to see you all!” Eusine said, inclining his head to Diana. “A Dragonair! What an honour for you, Saylee. Though the greatest honour, for me, would be to gain Suicune’s favour…”

“Why Suicune in particular?” Saylee asked. “Aren’t Entei and Suicune her equals?”

“I would hardly say so,” Eusine sniffed. “I grew up with my grandfather telling me the legends of Johto. Each of the Beasts is said to have a particular power over nature. Entei can cause the eruption of volcanoes. Raikou can call down thunderstorms. Suicune alone has a power that is not destructive. You have seen it yourself just now.”

Saylee nodded, remembering Suicune running down the polluted river and making it shine. “She can purify water,” she said.

“Precisely!” Eusine said. “Is it not beautiful? Such a pure power! By the barest touch, by its very _existence_ , Suicune makes the world a better place! That is why, since I was very young, I have longed to meet Suicune. In seeking to study it, I travelled to read the Bell Tower scriptures in Ecruteak… though I must confess, at this point my mission was somewhat distracted.”

“That’s when you and Morty met, wasn’t it?” Saylee asked.

Eusine nodded. “Indeed. He was the star of the Order, studying and training to become the avatar of Ho-oh. The two of us could talk for hours and hours about the beauty of mythological Pokémon… we were best friends in no time, and…” he frowned at some memory. “Monks of the Bell order are forbidden to enter into relationships, however. I offered to leave Ecruteak, but Morty left the order and opened his dojo, so I stayed. I have travelled on and off in search of Suicune, but Ecruteak is my home now.”

“That’s sweet, that is,” Georgia, munching on some rocks she’d dug up.

“So how long have you two been together?” Saylee asked, unpacking food for the rest of her Pokémon.

“Ten years now… since we were nineteen,” Eusine said, smiling. Then he sighed. “And I know that every day, he has wondered if leaving the Order has damaged his chances of becoming Ho-oh’s avatar, which has been his heart’s desire since he was a young child.”

“But he still left,” Tobias pointed out, accepting a bag of his favourite berries from Saylee.

“That he did,” Eusine said with a smile. “I am amazed and grateful for that every day. Besides, the scriptures do not specify a monk, merely a ‘chosen vessel’, and there are none worthier of that than Morty. In any case, once one has been chosen, can one be un-chosen?”

“What exactly do you mean by ‘Ho-oh’s avatar’, anyway?” Saylee asked. “What is that?”

“Did you read any of the Bell Tower scriptures?” Morty asked.

Saylee shook her head. “I glanced at them but didn’t really have time to stop and read,” she sighed. “I would love to sit and read them, though. I bet they’re fascinating!”

“They are,” Eusine agreed. “There are many predictions written centuries ago by an ancestor of Morty’s, a mad psychic whose mind became unhinged in time. He saw the past and future but, alas, very rarely the present.” He chuckled. “His wife, who ought to be the goddess of patience and devotion if she isn’t already, transcribed and translated his ramblings into histories and prophecies; although there are many that are unclear as to which they are. The dubious gift has remained but weakened over time. Morty has some control over it, as you saw when he predicted where you would find your elder brother.”

“So what’s this avatar stuff bein’ about?” Chip asked between mouthfuls of his lunch. “You haven’t been explainin’ that yet.”

“One of the prophecies is about the fate of the gods,” Eusine explained. “Ultimately, for the world to exist in harmony, the societies of humans and Pokémon must truly merge. The gods—Lugia, Ho-oh, Celebi and so on—must merge with humans. Their consciousness and the human’s will become one. The human is said to gain memories, powers, and a long life—though not immortality. These humans have come to be referred to as ‘avatars’, and they will become leaders of humans and Pokémon alike. Morty’s father predicted that this will begin within our lifetime.”

“Uniting humans and Pokémon once and for all?” Tobias asked excitedly.

“That sounds wonderful,” Saylee said happily. “Although, humans and Pokémon merging…”

“Pokémon and humans becoming able to communicate is said to be the first sign,” Eusine said excitedly. “Of course, it has been more than fifteen years since, but the lifetimes of gods are measured in millennia, so to them that is no time at all…” He stood up. “You have my thanks for sharing in your lunch,” he said, taking Saylee’s hand and kissing it. “I warn you that Mahogany is still two days’ travel away. There is another isle, similar to this, about four hours away that will serve you well as a campsite.”

“Are you going to camp?” Saylee asked.

Eusine shook his head. “We have tarried too long in our chase of Suicune, have we not, Jericho?” he said.

“We are not averse to flying through the night, if needs be,” Jericho said, holding out his leg for Eusine to grip onto. “Farewell, all!”

The pair of them drifted away. Saylee looked up at the sky again. It would be good to keep going for more than four hours, but it was starting to get dark earlier, and when it was, it was _freezing_. It was cold enough during the day, and Mary was shivering a little, no doubt missing her warm wool.

“Alright, time to move on,” she said, getting up and grabbing her bag. “Let’s get a move on so we can make camp before sunset.”

{}

By the time they’d finished dinner, the sun had already set. Saylee shivered, hugging Chip.

“I’ll put everyone else in your pokéballs,” she said. “It’ll be too cold for the rest of you.”

“Oi dunno, moy love, oi feel quoite perky meself,” Georgia said with a complex shrug. “Kinda loikin’ t’cold. D’you moind if’n oi stay up, moy love? Somebody ought t’stand guard out here. Plenty o’ bad sorts out around ‘ere.”

“That’d be great, Georgia, thank you,” Saylee said, snuggling into her sleeping bag. Chip banked his fires and curled up next to her. Saylee reached up to hang her dreamcatcher on a tree branch and set her glasses onto her bag before settling back down to sleep.

“Lee?” Chip asked. “Them two stones that be hangin’ in a bag there—Toby said you ain’t been findin’ what they are, an’ Diana was sayin’ that they be powerful.”

“I suppose,” Saylee said, staring vaguely at where she thought the bag was. She wasn’t reaching back out of her sleeping bag for her glasses now that she was so warm. “They were both found in caves in the Sevii Islands. I should have put them back… but by the time I’d realized that I’d taken them, I was far away.”

“Maybe they din’t want t’go back t’cave,” Georgia said. “They in’t proper stones, oi can tell that from ‘ere.”

“Probably not,” Saylee agreed. “What they _are_ , though… goodness knows.”

“Would you be doin’ it, Lee?” Chip asked sleepily. “Would you be an avatar, like what Eusine was talkin’ ‘bout? If you could?”

“I don’t know that I’d want that kind of responsibility,” Saylee said uncomfortably.

“Bit odd, comin’ from you,” Georgia laughed. “The girl who’s runnin’ ‘cross continents after Team Rocket!”

“That just kind of fell on me, and that’s stressful enough,” Saylee sighed. “So was providing for Pallet, back when we were isolated. Looking after one village is more responsibility than I ever really wanted, so whole _races_ …”

“So what are you wantin’, Lee?” Chip asked.

“I want to find my brother,” Saylee said, staring up at the stars. “That was the whole reason… I want to find Red…”

“You’ll be findin’ ‘im when it’s startin’ to snow, right?” Chip asked. “That’s what Morty was sayin’.”

Saylee nodded. “I hope it starts to snow soon,” she said wistfully.

{}

“That is _really_ startin’ to piss me off,” Nider growled as they carefully walked down the sloping path to Mahogany.

“Aye, it’s doin’ ma heid in too,” Mary agreed.

“What is?” Saylee asked. All of them looked at her incredulously.

“My lady, can’st be possible that you fail to perceive the atrocity that doth assault our ears?” Diana asked, massaging her forehead with the tip of her tail. “It is as poison applied to the head, a horn drill to the brain, a sound made of all things pain and irritation…”

“It’s a bloody nuisance, moy love,” Georgia grumbled, “an’ it’s getting’ painful.”

“Lee, it’s like the noise in the warehouse,” Tobias murmured, sounding upset. “The one from when I was little. The noise that hurt…”

“That signal!” Saylee gasped, smacking herself in the forehead. “That makes it certain! Team Rocket is here! I’m so sorry, you guys,” she said, turning around. “We’ll go back to somewhere where it doesn’t hurt. I’ll send a note back home saying that we’ve found them.”

“My lady,” Diana said, staring at the sky, “this assemblage of Rockets, be they capable of whipping unto a frenzy the clouds and winds?”

“Creating storms? I don’t know,” Saylee said, jogging along the path. “Let me know when it sounds okay again, guys.”

“We can be handlin’ it fine,” Chip said, nudging his head into her side. “You can be sendin’ off the letter.”

“Thanks,” Saylee said, pulling a pad of paper and a pen out of her bag and dashing off a quick note. “If Team Rocket has Pokémon capable of creating storms, I haven’t…” she paused in the middle of folding up the note and looked up at the light grey sky. “Out of curiosity, why do you ask?”

“There brews ahead a storm of great might and fury,” Diana said solemnly. “Great care we must take in hoping to proceed. It is not a storm born of Mother Nature’s capricious whim.”

“Right.” Saylee opened her Pokédex and placed the piece of paper onto the portpad. She clicked the button to the “Pallet” setting and sent the note away. “Now, to my knowledge, only Nider, Mary and Tobias are fully evolved. Chip, Georgia and Diana will all be hurt much worse by this signal. I’m going to put you all away for now, okay?”

“’Kay,” Chip muttered, rubbing his forehead. He had grown very large, large enough that his head could reach the small of her back. Saylee had noticed the previous night that the fire crest on his back was dying down, leaving only the ones on his head and neck. He was not too far from becoming a Typhlosion, which put him at great risk of being pushed into a premature evolution by prolonged exposure to the radio signal.

Saylee could clearly remember the tortured warehouse Pokémon. Most of those who had evolved early were deformed, their bodies not taking on their new forms properly, or sickly and incapable of controlling their new power. Some had died, their bodies destroyed by ill-timed evolution. Saylee would _not_ let her Pokémon go through that.

Her Pokédex _beeped_. One after another, three pokéballs rolled out. The first was a scuffed, faded pokéball with a flame insignia etched in. The second was a dented old ball with much of the colour scraped and burned off. The third was a blue-and-red great ball.

“I’ll introduce you all later,” Saylee said, hugging the pokéballs to her chest. Tobias touched his parents’ pokéballs reverently, a smile lighting up his face.

{}

“Cmon, Pete,” Blue said, unhooking his flight harness from the wall. “Let’s move out.”

“Blue, what do you think you’re doing?” his grandfather demanded. “It took Saylee five days’ travel through those caves, with sufficient planning and supplies—“

“I’m not using the caves,” Blue said, grabbing his haversack. “I’ll follow the rail line. If we follow that, it’s a straight flight through the mountains, probably not more than a day or two. We’ll be able to find Saylee inside of three days. Besides, Pete’s _way_ faster than Chaz.” Pete preened as his trainer climbed onto his back.

“Blue, it’s nearly winter, those mountains will be dangerous,” Daisy pleaded. “Besides, three days is more than enough time for Saylee to trounce Team Rocket!”

“It’s bigger than she realizes,” Blue insisted, pulling a photograph out of his pocket and glaring at it before moving it to a more secure pocket. “Plus, she needs to know what I found while cleaning out Giovanni’s place.”

“We can send her the blueprints later…” his grandfather began, trailing off at Blue’s glare.

“That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it,” he said.

“We only know that you only told Auntie Johanna what upset you so much, and it upset her too,” Daisy said. “Can’t you tell _us_?”

“Not my place to,” Blue said curtly. “Saylee needs to know first. Ask Auntie Jo if you really have to know. Now stop worrying. I’ll be fine, and you’ll be fine too. That foreign guy’s a good trainer even if his Pokémon are bizarre. Let’s go, Pete!” Daisy and her grandfather stepped back as Pete spread his expansive wings and took off.

“Do you have any idea what this could be about?” Daisy asked her grandfather.

“Whatever it is, it must be very personal to Saylee and her mother,” her grandfather sighed. “And that, sadly, means that your brother’s right; it’s up to them to decide when to share whatever it is.”

“But Blue knows,” Daisy pointed out.

“Yes, and he’s still talented at keeping secrets,” the Professor said, returning to his lab. “Can you come give me a hand with sifting through these rubble piles, Daisy? Try to find bone fragments…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter being the first moment where I realized that in the games Eusine doesn’t own a Jumpluff and I’ve been reading the Pokémon Adventures manga too much. I’m still keeping Jericho in. 
> 
> Also, that terrible, terrible moment where you crit-hit a shiny T_T I tried using Cut but it was still too much. Goldeeeeen! T_T
> 
> Name: Marty. Species: Machop. Nature: Calm. Ability: No Guard. Level: 14


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 1

It started raining as Saylee drew closer to Mahogany, and very soon it was bucketing. Freezing rain, wind and tiny bits of hail pelted down on her, not hard enough to really hurt her but hard enough to sting. She’d stopped twice under trees to don extra jumpers and a pair of jeans and pull her hat as low over her face as possible, and had stopped a third time to look for something else to wear when she spotted a light. From its square shape, it looked like it was shining out of a window.

She made her way towards it, more cautiously now, and caught sight of the lights of more houses. The wind died down slightly once she was among the houses, but the rain was still heavy and freezing. Most of the houses had heavily shuttered windows. Saylee went through several streets without seeing a human or a Pokémon. She rounded a corner into a more open space and the wind blew in her face, carrying with it a babble of voices.

“We have to leave!”

“The rain won’t stop!”

“Mahogany’s going to be destroyed at this rate!”

“Everybody calm down!” A nasally voice called. Saylee crept around a house, using the front garden wall as a windbreak, and peered at the gathering huddled under an awning stretched between two buildings. There were a couple of men in thick coats and hoods at either end of the awning, struggling to hold the tough blue canvas in place as the wind tried to whip it away.

The nasally voice belonged to a man in a brown suit with slicked-back, bright purple hair. “The rain will die down soon!” he called. “Go back to your homes!”

“It will be alright.” Another man had stepped up next to the purple-haired one, much taller with a long blue coat and pure white hair. He didn’t shout; his voice was powerful enough to carry through the gale. “Go home, cover up your windows, and keep calm.”

“Listen to your elders!” the purple-haired man cackled. The old man gave him a filthy look. People began to scatter as lighting flashed. In the light, Saylee realized where she had seen that frankly offensive shade of purple before.

_A purple-haired man scrambled up the ladder to the balloon while Proton set the self-destruct…_

The old man muttered something to the Rocket Executive, glaring daggers at the man before turning and stalking through the large gateway behind him. The Executive scurried off into another building. As soon as he was gone, the two men let go of the awning and followed. The townspeople dispersed more rapidly with the main source of cover gone.

“Psst,” Saylee whispered, grabbing the arm of a man who ran past. “Secret police, it’s okay.” The man looked sceptically at her. She pulled open her coat, which she’d put on over her bag to protect it, and his gaze was drawn to the badges and pins on her bag strap. He must have recognized some of the Johto emblems, because he nodded to her, indicating that she could continue. “Who’s that purple-haired guy?” she asked quickly. The man was skittish, looking around nervously.

“Name’s Petrel,” the man murmured. “He’s running the souvenir store all of a sudden. Graeme Pryce, Sir Pryce’s eldest son, he used to run the place, but nobody’s seen him or his family in a while, or Helen Pryce. A few other people are missing too… I’d better not be seen talking to you.” Saylee let go of his arm and he ran off.

 _Team Rocket is here,_ Saylee thought, gripping Chaz’s pokéball in her pocket. _And from the sound of it, they have hostages…_

{}

“Brrr!” Saylee gasped, stepping into the gatehouse, which was decorated in light blue and mostly empty aside from a counter, a couple of sofas and a blank television screen set into one wall. She took off her soaking jacket and began to shake it out on the muddy linoleum floor, which wouldn’t help much given how soaked her jumper was. Her hat dropped over her eyes, dripping water onto her chin.

“Hello there, missy,” a man in a dark blue guard’s uniform and hat said, stepping out from behind the counter. A similarly-dressed man with no hat that had been leaning against the far wall ambled over as well. “Rough weather, innit?”

“Oh, I know, awful, isn’t it?” Saylee babbled, squeezing out her pigtails. “But I just _had_ to see the lake! I hear it’s _spectacular_!”

The guards chuckled. “Well, it’s a thousand quid to pass, missy,” the one with the hat said, holding out his hand. Saylee’s face fell as she dug in her pocket.

“Oh, no… I don’t have anywhere _near_ that much!” she complained. The hatless “guard” put his hand on her arm.

“Well now, how are you going to pay your passage?” he leered. The smirk abruptly faded as Saylee kicked him in the crotch. At the same moment, she pulled two pokéballs out of her pocket and threw them into the air.

“Why you little—” the still-standing guard snarled, releasing a Raticate. It was struck on the back of the head by a high-velocity bone club.

“A Marowak… and a Hitmonchan…?” the guard on the ground groaned. “No… you’re—” he reached for a pokéball, but Hernan punched him out while Carrie’s bone club returned to her hand by way of the second guard’s head.

“Man, you guys are quick on the uptake,” Saylee said happily, pulling off her hat and dropping it onto her jacket. “I missed you two!”

“They’re Rockets, it’s instinctual,” Carrie said, twirling her club.

“We’ve missed you, too,” Hernan said as Saylee hugged them. “How is Toby?”

“He evolved, didn’t he?” Carrie said, hugging Saylee back. “Let’s see him!”

“Sure thing,” Saylee said with a smile, lifting up the bottom of her jumper. She’d hidden her pokéball belt underneath. “C’mon out, Toby!”

“Mum! Dad!” Tobias immediately flew at his parents when he appeared, laughing joyfully. “Look at me! I can _fly_ now! And I’ve got all these new powers, and—” he winced. “Ow… it’s that noise again…”

“Ah… so it is,” Hernan said gravely. “I didn’t notice… it seems much… less… than before…”

“Maybe it’s been refined so it doesn’t bother Pokémon over a certain power level,” Saylee theorized, “or maybe you’ve gotten just that much stronger in the five months since the warehouse.”

Tobias’ face fell. “So I’m not as strong yet?” he said sadly. “I thought, since I’d evolved…”

“Oh, Toby,” Carrie said, hugging him gently. “You’re very young, and you’ve got a lot of training ahead of you. But at the end of it…” she kissed his forehead. “You’ll be more powerful than the both of us.”

While Tobias was showing off his new powers to his parents, Saylee released Chaz. Of her Pokémon that she’d left behind—and there’d been more than twenty of them—she’d missed her Charizard the most, her first and most powerful teammate.

Steam rose off of Saylee as she flung her arms around Chaz’s long neck. “You’re soaked,” Chaz said, gently breathing hot air over her. “What’ve you gotten into now?”

“Team Rocket’s here, as you might be able to hear,” Saylee sighed. Chaz cocked his head for a moment, listening intently, and then nodded. “They’ve got hostages, too, and this storm is unnatural so I’m betting that they’re behind it too somehow.” She opened the map setting of her pokégear. The phone wouldn’t connect, and the radio only played a weird screeching buzz, probably the sound that the Pokémon were suffering. The map worked, at least, and the Lake of Rage was subtitled, “ _also known as: Gyarados Lake_ ”.

“Rampaging Gyarados looks about right,” Chaz said, looking out of the window nervously. “How do we calm that storm?”

“I’ve got some ideas…” Saylee looked at Tobias. “Toby, do you think it’s okay…?”

“It’s… tolerable,” Tobias said. “We’re going to need Diana, and she’s extra-tough anyway.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Saylee released the rest of her Pokémon. “I didn’t intend to pick up a team here, but, well, stuff happens. Chaz, Hernan, Carrie… meet Chip, Georgia, Nider, Mary and Diana!”

Tobias insisted on introducing Mary to everyone personally. Nider hit some kind of alpha-male crisis and started showing off, not shutting up about how they could beat them all blindfolded until Hernan lifted the large Nidoking over his head with one hand. Chip soon utterly hero-worshipped Chaz, a much larger and more powerful fire-type. Georgia, Diana and Carrie were soon chatting about five things at once. Saylee was glad to see Georgia becoming comfortable around Diana; they had serious work ahead of them.

“Lee, oi’m tellin’ you now,” Georgia said warningly. “Don’t you be thinkin’ o’ sendin’ _me_ away now you’ve got your old team ‘round. They’re roight strong, sure, but so’re we.”

“Aye, an’ I promised I’d be gien’ Team Rocket a good batterin’ fer whit they done,” Mary growled. “Dinnae even _think_ ‘bout leavin’ me oot.”

“Lee, I know you weren’t plannin’ t’be bringin’ us into this,” Chip added, “and you was plannin’ not t’have us be fightin’ them Rockets, but we’re _wantin’_ t’be. They’re _evil…_ ”

“I know,” Saylee said, scratching his ear. “But I won’t be able to keep you, Georgia and Diana out for long. The signal will hurt too much…”

“T’be honest, moy love, oi ain’t hardly felt it ‘ere,” Georgia said, looking up at Tobias, who was currently sitting on her head. “You been ‘earin’ it, moy love?”

“A little, but I’ve been trying to block it out…” Tobias said.

Carrie suddenly hopped up and scooped him into her arms. “Maybe you have,” she said, walking away from Georgia. After a few steps, Georgia winced sharply.

“Son o’ a slag’eap…” she muttered, rubbing her head. Carrie ran back with Tobias and she relaxed. “Ah, that’s much better, moy love.”

“Really?” Chip ran over to Georgia and gasped. “Oh, wow! I can barely be hearin’ it!”

“Nor I,” Diana said, leaning down. “The young fey hath raised upon us a barrier of security. Did he know it not?”

“See?” Hernan proudly said as Tobias looked at his parents in surprise. “You have more power than you know.”

“That’s brilliant, Toby!” Saylee said happily. “You four need to stay together, then. Toby, Chip, you two’ll fit on Georgia’s head. Diana, if you stay close by…”

“It won’t protect them from the weather,” Chaz pointed out, indicating the storm outside that was raging into a full-blown typhoon.

“To quell these winds is nothing more than breath, now that my mind is clear as the waters of Suicune,” Diana said. Her horn and the jewels along her body began to glow.

The wind died. The sound of rain became distant. Saylee looked out of the door and saw that, while the storm still raged, they were in the centre of a circle of sunlight.

“That’s _amazing_ ,” she breathed.

“Looks like it’s a good thing you did pick these guys up,” Chaz observed, stepping outside. “Let’s go clear up this storm properly so we can _see_ the scum we’re taking out.”

{}

A flock of newly-evolved Pidgeotto were sheltering and shivering under a tree. Some had evolved fine, and had spread their wings over comrades who were not so lucky. Some of their wings were still Pidgey-sized, too small now to support their weight. Others had half-grown, deformed wings. Almost none of them had a pink Pidgeotto crest, but rather the tiny tuft of brown-and-white feathers that was a mark of childhood to them.

Saylee remembered the pride that Pedro had taken in his pink crest when it had first grown in. If these poor birds could never grow adult crests, their ability to interact with other flocks of Pidgeotto would be damaged for life. Pidgeotto could not—and possibly _would_ not—give them the help they needed.

“This is awful…” Carrie said sadly, watching them sorrowfully but not daring to get close. They’d tried to approach a similar flock earlier, but the birds had been so crazed with pain and fear that they’d attacked violently. The only success they’d had was Mary being able to approach huddled herds of new Flaaffy, many with purple or still-blue skin and heavy, sodden tufts of now extraneous wool. She’d managed to siphon off their excess electricity and reduce some of their pain, but now her own voltage was running too high. She was flushed in the face, as if feverish, and crackled with every step.

“The sooner we deal with this, the better,” Saylee said.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Chaz said. “Blue’s been clearing out the Rocket building in Viridian and found some hidden offices. One of them had some notes about a hidden complex under Mahogany. Supposedly, it used to be an underground ninja fortress, and then something happened to the clan that either drove them away or drove them to live aboveground… I wonder if anyone in Mahogany still knows it’s there. Supposedly there’s only two entrances, and the notes indicate that one was caved in long ago.”

“On the subject of ninja, Koga went up to Indigo Plateau after meeting Lorelei,” Carrie added. “He came back alive and then returned with a couple of disciples, young relatives of his I think. Jasmine’s the head of Fuchsia now. Koga’s been steadily leaking technology and information out of there…”

“Good,” Saylee said. “I hope he can keep the psychopaths up there under control. If anyone can, it’s probably him.” She didn’t expect that the stern, unflappable ninja lord would balk even at ghosts and dragons.

“Lorelei didn’t seem so bad,” Tobias piped up.

“No, that time she was just turning her psychopathy against Team Rocket instead of us,” Saylee sighed. “She got way angrier at Team Rocket than she did at me, though. Then again, I never kidnapped and brutally tortured her favourite Pokémon…”

“Lance wondered if that was one of the reasons why she left,” Chaz mentioned. “That he killed Lorenzo… not that _he_ seems to feel guilty about it.”

“Did you hear about your mother?” Carrie asked Saylee.

Saylee shook her head. “Is she alright?” she asked.

“She misses you,” Chaz said, “but… well, I guess she’s a little less lonely these days.”

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?” Nider wanted to know.

“She’s been seeing someone,” Carrie said. “The occasional boat comes in and out of Vermillion, and this guy came in on one and went to Pewter to help the tunnelling through Mt Moon. Anyway, you know how your mother’s been making some money selling lunch to the workers in Pewter?”

“Yeah, she said that business has been quite good since Viridian Forest got easier to travel through,” Saylee said. “Did she meet him there?”

“Yep,” Chaz said. “They hit it off really well. I’ve seen him around. He seems like a good guy. About your mum’s age, but a big guy. Pretty strong for a human. He’s asked after you, I think. Your mum seems to like him a lot. She had a bout of depression recently and threw away her old wedding ring, and then she’s perked right up again.”

“She threw the ring away?” Saylee said in surprise. “Wow… she must _really_ like this guy! That’s so great for her! What’s his name?”

“Um… I can’t remember,” Chaz admitted. “I haven’t really met him.”

“What ‘bout your da, Lee?” Chip asked.

“Who knows?” Saylee said with a shrug. “I was born just after. Mum woke up with the only things she had in the world being me, Red, the clothes on her back and that ring. She named him Red for his eye colour, we’ve never really known if he’s got a different birth name or even if he’s my brother for sure. He doesn’t look much like Mum… anyway, obviously Mum can’t remember who our father is, and if he’s even still alive he won’t remember us. Mum wondered about it for years… I’m glad she’s given up on it and moved on…”

“My lady,” Diana said, “I humbly beg of you your most gracious pardon for my unseemly interruption, but it must be known that we approach now the storm’s true eye, a force of rage and might beyond even mine power…”

“Isn’t that the lake there?” Hernan said, pointing to the churning water that was almost indistinguishable from the wild rain. Saylee had to watch it for several minutes to be sure that it was indeed the Lake of Rage. It was living right up to its name.

“Right—I’m going to return everyone except Nider, Mary, Tobias and Diana,” Saylee said. “Diana, I want to you try and lift Nider and I into the air, keeping us in the circle of clear weather. The odds are good that Gyarados that’ve been forced to evolve are rampaging in that lake. I feel sorry for them, but we need to knock them out to clear the weather enough for us to search for that transmitter. Mary, ready to use that pent-up electricity?”

“Ooft aye,” Mary muttered, her tail sparking sharply. “Just say when.”

“I’ll call you all out again as soon as the weather’s cleared,” Saylee promised, returning the rest. “Tobias, stick close to Diana. Diana, please try to get us as high out of the water on the ground as you can.”

“Indeed,” Diana said, peering into the Lake. “My Lady, it may be of use to know that amongst the churning waters there floats a human of diminutive stature…”

“What?!” Saylee said sharply. “Are you saying that there’s a kid in the lake?!” Diana nodded. Saylee climbed carefully onto Nider’s back.

“Toby, look after my bag, okay?” She said, slipping Carrie, Hernan and Chaz’s loose pokéballs into the satchel and handing it to Tobias. “Nider, we need to get out there and get that kid. Diana, Toby, Mary, stay together and stay safe, got it? We’ll need a safe spot to bring whoever the hell it is back to.”

“Hang on tight,” Nider said, winking at Diana. “Back in a wink. Here we go!”

They charged out into the driving rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never transferred Hernan, Carrie or Chaz out of my FireRed game; they’re only here in the story because I missed the characters and wanted to bring them back :) These three would never pass up a chance to beat on Team Rocket anyway.
> 
> Name: Garett. Species: Girafarig. Nature: Naïve. Ability: Inner Focus. Level: 15


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 20 
> 
> Deaths: 1

Once outside of Diana’s sphere of protection, the cold hit Saylee like a fist, even before Nider dived into the frigid water. She clung tightly to Nider’s back as he battled through the wild currents, focusing on not scratching herself on the venomous points of his spines. She hauled herself up to peer over his shoulder, already losing the feeling in her hands as her gloves soaked through. Something hard bounced off of Nider’s shoulder and grabbed Saylee’s arm.

“A Magneton?!” Saylee yelped in surprise, pressing her glasses to her face to peer at the cold, metallic Pokémon that was clinging to her arm. One of its eyes peered up at her and widened in surprise.

“You! The liar!” it buzzed.

“Liar? You’re…” Saylee gasped in realization. “You’re Silver’s! It’s him? Where is he?”

“There!” the Magneton shrieked, pointing one of his magnets towards the middle of the lake.

A wave tossed Silver and Tyra sharply into the air. Tyra caught her trainer and the pair vanished into the water.

“We have to find them and get them out of the water!” Saylee shouted into Nider’s ear.

“I’m not goin’ down there!” Nider yelled. “There’s somethin’ big and _nasty_ under there—WHOA!”

It felt as if the wind and water gripped them and flung them high into the air. Saylee tried to grab onto Nider as the sudden crosswinds flung them wildly back and forth, but her numb fingers in sodden gloves couldn’t grip. She thought she felt heat on the palm of her hand for an instant, but then she was ripped away, tumbling through the air with the Magneton clinging tightly to her arm. She could see Silver and Tyra also being tossed around in the furious twister. Tyra had her long arms wrapped around her trainer, holding onto him tight. The swirling winds threw them back and forth, the much lighter Saylee and the Magneton being tossed much more violently than the oddly large Tyra. As Saylee scrambled to grab Tyra’s tail during another pass, it clicked why the water-type was so much larger than before, her markings and proportions so different. She had evolved again.

“What the hell are you doing here, Liar?!” Silver bellowed, noticing her over Tyra’s arm as Saylee finally managed to get a grip on the spines of Tyra’s tail. “Don’t you _dare_ try to steal my catch! It looks _strong_!” Saylee looked down at the centre of the cyclone. She saw more red, bright and vivid as fresh blood. It was _huge._

She was starting to feel dizzy, probably from too long in the twister, and it took her spinning mind a while to realize that the Pokémon causing the storm was a bright red _Gyarados_.

A beam of ice fired wildly into the cyclone. Saylee looked around to see Nider, also twisting through the air in the tornado above them, using his only long-rage attack to fire on the Gyarados. The winds were strong enough to send the beam off-course, and it took him a few shots to hit. The Gyarados wailed in pain, sending random blasts of blue fire into the twister. One hit Tyra dead-on, knocking Silver out of her arms.

“SILVER!” Saylee shouted, letting go of Tyra and falling into the wind. Her vision was blurring—had her glasses been knocked off? Her face was too numb to feel if they were on or not—but she focused on the small splash of red that was Silver, digging into her pockets for an empty pokéball. She realized that the weight on her arm from the Magneton’s grip was gone and hoped that he was alright. She found a rough, heavy apricorn ball and prayed that Kurt’s handiwork would be enough. When she heard the Gyarados wail as Nider hit it with another ice beam, she flung the ball into the wind and stared down, squinting at the Gyarados. The huge red shape vanished a moment later, so the pokéball must have hit.

The wind died within moments of the Gyarados disappearing. Nider, Tyra, Silver and Saylee all began to fall.

“Silver!” Saylee shouted, looking up into the air. The small, light Silver had been thrown higher than she had and was falling down towards her. She managed to grab what felt like an arm as they fell towards the water. Saylee couldn’t guess how far down it was; her head was still spinning as if she were still in the middle of the typhoon.

She wrapped her arms protectively around Silver just before they hit the water _hard._

{}

“Saylee!” Chaz called, flying over the calming waters. Diana had calmed down the weather, and Tobias had let Chaz out of his pokéball, saying that Saylee and Nider had gone into the storm after a child and hadn’t come back even after the weather had calmed.

“Nider!” he shouted, spotting the large purple Pokémon swimming through the water. “Where’s Saylee?”

“Dunno,” Nider said, holding up her big white hat. “Found this stupid thing, but I can’t find her.”

“Dammit.” Chaz flew higher, scanning the area.

 _Pedro would have spotted her by now_ , he thought wistfully. He missed his best friend keenly. Pedro had been cocky, but he’d been a good friend and a great warrior, and he could spot a Persian in a blizzard. It stung Chaz that when he’d finally been reunited with his trainer, his _other_ best friend, first he’d been unable to fight alongside of her because of the damn _weather_ , and now if she was drowning underwater he’d be unable to reach her…

“Silver! SILVER! Answer me, kiddo!”

Chaz circled down to the figure swimming across the surface of the water. It was some kind of large water-type that he’d never seen before. “’Scuse me,” he said, “but have you seen a human female, brown hair, a bit over five feet tall—“

“You mean that Saylee?” the water-type growled. “Dunno. Didn’t see any humans under the water, just a load of confused Gyarados flapping around like Magikarp. I’m looking for my trainer, very little human male, bright red hair…”

“How do you know Saylee?” Chaz asked.

“Silver hates her,” the water-type snapped. “None of your business why, firebutt. But…” she flicked her tail. “Your Saylee came out into the storm to help Silver. Even though he hates her, she worries about him because he’s just a kid. And her Pokémon like her. So I guess she’s not that bad. Don’t tell Silver I said so, ‘specially since she stole his catch.” She opened her large jaws to reveal that a large grey-and-blue pokéball was gripped between her back teeth.

“Saylee is one of the best humans there is,” Chaz said, firmly flying up into the air and looking around. Then his tail flared as he felt an odd heat signature. It felt like a _volcano,_ but so _small_ …

The banks of the river were littered with smashed trees and thrown boulders. Magikarp were splashing amongst the mud, little flickering spots of red trying to hop away from a ring of fire.

Standing inside the circle was a creature like a shaggy brown Arcanine, watching another spot of red which was swearing heavily in a voice far too young for the words it was using.

“— useless, stupid, thieving bitch, why the fuck did you go and do that? Weak, useless, piece of shit—“

Chaz guessed that the little red-haired boy was Silver. He was warming his hands on the ring of fire and distinctly not looking at Saylee. She was lying on her side, unmoving and apparently unconscious. A nervous-looking Magneton was hovering over her, her glasses dangling from one of its magnets.

“Watch your mouth, kid,” Chaz said, flapping down next to Saylee and watching the strange Pokémon nervously. He draped one wing protectively over Saylee, surprised to feel that she was bone-dry, rather than soaked and freezing as Chaz would have expected. The strange Pokémon narrowed its eyes at Chaz. Chaz tried to stare it down, but he could _feel_ the raw power emanating from the white-hot creature. “What are _you_?”

“I think she’s called Entei, right?” Silver said. Entei bowed its head. “You’re Suicune’s sister, right? Where’s she? And Raikou? I want to see all three of you together! I’d be stronger than _anyone_ with you three!”

Entei shook its head, looking back in the direction of Mahogany. Then she turned and ran, bounding away over the ruined landscape. The ring of fire flickered out moments later.

“Well, fuck you too!” Silver yelled angrily. “No Gyarados, no Beasts… what a stupid waste of a trip…”

“Who taught you manners?” Chaz wanted to know. “Team Rocket?”

Silver glared at Chaz. “You’re _him_ , aren’t you,” he said. “The last Charizard.”

“As far as I know,” Chaz replied. “You’re Silver, aren’t you? Someone’s looking for you.”

“Who?” Silver said guardedly. Then he looked out at the lake. “Oh… Tyra?” he released a Golbat. “Go find Tyra and bring her here.” The Golbat nodded and flew off. Silver glared at the Magneton that was still floating nervously over Saylee’s head. “I wish you’d go in your stupid pokéball.”

Chaz tipped his head back and shot a blast of fire as high into the air as he could. He hoped the others would take it as a signal. Then he leaned down and sniffed at Silver and Saylee.

“Hey!” the boy complained. “What the hell are you _doing_ , you freak?”

“Calm down, I’m just making sure you’re not injured,” Chaz said. “I smell blood, though…” he nudged Saylee’s cheek. “I don’t think humans should feel that hot…”

“Her hand’s bleeding,” Silver pointed out. Chaz lifted up her left hand and saw that her glove was covered in blood. He carefully pulled it off with his teeth and saw a jagged cut crossed her palm. It was fresh, and had swollen purple. “Ew, that’s _disgusting_.”

“She’s poisoned…” Chaz muttered. “Dammit, where’s Toby with that bag?” He signalled again.

“ _Watch your mouth_ ,” Silver said mockingly. “Must’ve cut herself on her stupid Nidoking when she fell off. Idiot. How weak can you _get_? Why the hell was she out there? That Gyarados was _mine_ to catch _!”_

“Count yourself lucky she caught _you_ ,” Chaz said sharply. “Toby said you fell from pretty high, high enough that a human as tiny as you would’ve broken every little bone in your body.” He desperately wanted to check if _Saylee_ had broken anything, but he was scared to move her in case she had; she was warm and he was breathing, and he had to take those as good enough signs for the time being. “She saved your life, you ungrateful brat. If you think that’s weakness, no wonder that Entei character doesn’t want anything to do with you.”

“Shut up!” Silver shouted angrily. “I didn’t _ask_ her to save me!”

“Chaz! Saylee!”

Tobias came flying up with his parents and Mary in tow. Diana was flying over them, looking around nervously.

“You still owe her,” Chaz said, taking Saylee’s bag from Tobias. “So dig out an antidote for her. You’ve got the little hands and opposable thumbs. I think they work alright on humans…”

“Antidote? Is she alright?” Carrie said in alarm.

“She cut her hand on one of Nider’s spikes from the looks of it,” Chaz explained as Silver sullenly dug for the antidotes. “Then she hit the water pretty hard… though she doesn’t seem that badly hurt,” he added, a little nonplussed. “I wonder what that _was_ … something powerful was here. Entei. It was protecting them with a ring of fire…”

“You’re right; she’s only dislocated this shoulder,” Carrie said, patting Saylee down for broken bones. “Good thing she’s unconscious…” Silver winced as Carrie carefully shoved Saylee’s arm back into its socket. Saylee whimpered in her sleep but didn’t wake. “What _is_ an Entei?”

“It’s one of the Legendary Beasts of Johto,” Tobias explained. “They’re kinda like Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres, but not birds.”

“What about the Beasts?” Nider said, swimming up and hauling himself onto shore. “Good, everyone’s here! How’s Lee?”

“She’s burning up,” Carrie said, feeling Saylee’s forehead. “She scratched herself on you…”

“My poison ain’t that bad,” Nider said nervously.

“Humans are much more fragile than we are,” Hernan said, watching Silver locate an antidote and spray it into the wound on Saylee’s left palm. “She’s not leading any Rocket base raids any time soon.”

“ _You’re_ here to fight Team Rocket?” Silver scoffed. “Pathetic. You’re even weaker than _they_ are. _I’m_ going to deal with them.”

“No, you’re not,” Carrie said severely. “You’re far too young to face scum like them…”

“You can’t stop me!” Silver shouted. “I _hate_ them!”

“Why?” Tobias asked. “Why do you hate them so much? Why do you hate _Lee_ so much?”

“’Cause… ‘cause they’re _weak_ ,” Silver said, dropping the empty antidote bottle and striding over to stand next to Tyra. His Magneton nervously looked from his trainer to Saylee.

“Aye, right,” Mary scoffed. “That isnae a real reason. You keep slingin’ that word ‘round at folk you dinnae like. So whit’s the real reason?”

“Why’s there have to be one?” Silver demanded. “Why can’t I just hate them?”

“Nobody just _hates_ people,” Tobias argued. “You’ve gotta have a reason.”

“Silver!” the Golbat called, flying back with the large water-type that Chaz had seen before following. She had to be Tyra. “What’re all of these…?”

“ _Hers,_ ” Silver said venomously, nudging Saylee with his toe. Chaz snapped his fangs at the kid, and Tyra and the Golbat leapt protectively in front of Silver. Tobias flew down to Saylee’s belt to release Chip and Georgia.

“Tyra!” Chip said, looking around and picking up fairly quickly on the situation. “Can we _not_ be gettin’ into a fight? We’ve all been comin’ here to be fightin’ Team Rocket… couldn’t we be fightin’ together?”

“A fine idea indeed!”

Diana encircled them all as another human approached. A plump yellow Pokémon walked beside him. The human had spiky-pale red hair and was wearing a tatty black cloak over an embroidered, equally tatty blue suit.

“What a small world it is, to run into that girl again at this time and place,” Lance mused.

“Who the hell are _you_?” Silver demanded.

“Lance!” Chaz snarled, stepping forwards and cracking his claws. “Funny seeing you out of your cave.”

“Well, Lorelei put the word out on Team Rocket,” Lance said, unintimidated by the large and angry Charizard stalking towards him “I refuse to let them misuse Pokémon in this fashion…” he patted the arm of the Dragonite next to him, who was barely taller than he was. Chaz realized that it was severely undersized for a Dragonite. “Draek got lucky that his forced evolution was without deformities… but I see here a very beautiful Dragonair that has escaped such a fate!” He bowed to Diana. “Can it be that Saylee has earned _your_ respect?”

“Work not your charms on me, dragonlord,” Diana said stiffly, “for mine soul and life are owed to the lady’s will.”

“Why do you guys talk like poofs?” Silver asked. “And why do you wear such a stupid outfit?”

“When you are older and wiser, boy,” Lance said mildly, “you will learn to better aim and focus that bitterness. It can make for a powerful weapon. Right now, mine is focused on Team Rocket… as, I’m sure, is yours,” he said, holding his hand out to Chaz. “We must move quickly to neutralize this threat now. Will you fight with me?”

“I’ll _fight_ you, alright,” Chaz snarled. “We’ve got no reason to trust a killer like you…”

“Chaz, wait!” Carrie said, stepping towards him.

“You’re _not_ thinking of teaming up with him,” Chaz said incredulously. “That son of a bitch and his Pokémon killed Lorenzo and would’ve killed us all given half a chance!”

“Wait, _what_?” Chip said, flaring up.

“But right now, Team Rocket are a higher priority,” Carrie insisted. “We can’t get Saylee safely to a clinic in Mahogany until every last Rocket is driven out. What do you think they’ll do to her if they catch her in this condition?”

“Burn,” Chaz snarled.

“Besides, we might get lucky,” Hernan added consolingly. “They might take each other out.”

“We’re standing right here,” Draek pointed out.

“You’re not idiots,” Carrie conceded. “You _know_ we don’t trust you.” She looked up at Chaz. “Anyway, wouldn’t you rather he was down there in Mahogany instead of hanging around up here?” She nodded at the feverish Saylee.

“Sounds fair enough,” Georgia said. “T’ enemy o’ moy enemy…”

“I’d assure you all that I bear you no ill will if I thought you’d believe me,” Lance said. “We’ve tarried here too long, in any case. Shall we?”

“Hernan and I will go with you,” Carrie agreed. “Once we’ve taken out Team Rocket, we’ll—“

“Haud it,” Mary butted in. “I dinnae ken who this tube is, or whit’s gaun’ on here, but if you’re gaun’ efter Team Rocket, you’re no’ leavin’ me behind. Them brounfluffs went efter ma Maw!”

“Oi ain’t hangin’ ‘round up ‘ere either,” Georgia said, folding two of her arms firmly and cracking the knuckles of the other two. “T’weren’t for them, Wendy weren’t’ve doid.”

“Georgia, you can’t be goin’ away from Toby!” Chip said. “I can still be hearin’ that signal even if it’s not hurtin’! Without Toby, you’ll really be hurtin’! If you’re t’be goin’, all four of us got t’be goin’!”

“I’d like to go help Mary…” Tobias said tentatively.

“No, Toby,” Carrie said firmly. “I know you’ve gotten much stronger, but right now… you need to use that strength to protect your friends. Please, Toby, stay here. You, Diana and Chip are needed to protect Saylee. Besides…” she gave her son a hug. “I can’t stomach the thought of you being anywhere near Team Rocket…”

“Gimme Georgie’s pokéball,” Nider said. “I can carry it. If she gets hurt too bad, I’ll put ‘er away and avenge Wendy myself, got it?”

“Oi loike that plan, moy love,” Georgia said, fistbumping him.

“And where do you think _you’re_ going?” Chaz said as Silver and Tyra started walking away.

“I’m sick of listening to you weaklings,” Silver growled. “I could’ve taken care of those Rocket wimps in the time you’ve spent _talking_.”

“Oh no, you’re not going anywhere,” Chaz said, grabbing him by the back of his big black jumper and ignoring Tyra’s warning snarl or the sparks from his Magneton. “You’re just a little kid. Besides, Saylee’s probably going to need another couple of antidotes applied and those stupid things need human hands. Diana’s only got a tail, Toby and Chip don’t have fingers, and this is not what my claws were made for. You’re staying here with us, got it?” He set Silver down next to Saylee.

“Let me _go_!” Silver yelled, incensed. “Don’t you tell me what to do!”

“You heard him, firebutt,” Tyra growled. “Let. Him. _Go._ ”

“Bring it on,” Chaz said. “I’ve fought better water-types than you.”

“He has,” Carrie said. “When Saylee wakes up, you have to tell her about that fight with Sam!”

“We waste time,” Lance said, holding onto Draek’s arm as the Dragonite flapped his wings and flew into the air. “Make for the souvenir shop that’s ‘just a souvenir shop, nothing suspicious about it, no need to be alarmed’!” He shouted the last part sarcastically as he and Draek flew off.

“Be careful,” Chaz said as Carrie and Hernan led the others off.

“You too,” Hernan responded wryly.

“You wimps, running away!” Silver snarled. “Tyra, use water gun!” Chaz flapped out of the way of the water gun and landed on top of Tyra, clamping her jaws shut between his claws. The Magneton sparked at him, but Diana wrapped herself around it, earthing its electricity harmlessly in her horn.

“Give it a rest, kid,” Chaz said. “Can’t you see we’re trying to protect you?”

“I don’t _need_ your protection!” Silver snarled, returning the struggling Tyra. The Golbat flew towards Chaz, backing up sharply when Chaz spat fire at him. “Or _hers_ … I don’t know why she’s stupid enough to keep getting herself hurt like this, but I don’t _need_ it, you hear? I can take care of myself just _fine_!”

“C’mon, Silver,” Chip said. “Just ‘cause your folks left you—“

“What’d you say?!” Silver shouted angrily. “That’s none of your business!”

“How’d you know that?” Tobias asked Chip.

“Shot in the dark,” Chip said with a shrug. “You’ve been blamin’ Lee for them leavin’, right?”

“It’s her _fault_!” Silver said stubbornly. “And _yours_ …” he glared at Chaz. “Dad used to be strong. The _strongest_. But this… this _wimp_ came long…” he glared at Saylee. “She’s weak, and _they’re_ weak, but I’m _not_! I’m going to beat Team Rocket and find them and prove it!”

“A fascinating menagerie of goals,” Diana said, squeezing the struggling Magneton. “But what might the destruction of Pidgey-livered troglodytes and the desire to surpass one’s parents have between them?”

“… _What_?” Silver asked, staring at her. “Let Mag go!”

“Are your parents in Team Rocket or something?” Tobias asked.

“Would explain why he’s bein’ a thief o’ Pokémon,” Chip agreed.

“I didn’t _steal_ anyone!” Silver argued.

“So Tyra and that Sneasel…?” Chip shot back.

“They both actually wanted to come with him…” Mag put in timidly.

“That’s _right!_ ” Silver snapped triumphantly. “They were living with wimps that didn’t know they had strong Pokémon.”

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re a bad trainer,” Tobias said. “Saylee agrees. Because even though you keep going on about how much you hate weaklings, you don’t throw your Pokémon away. Even when you’ve lost fights, you still have them all.”

“…cause they’re _mine_ ,” Silver said, reaching out briefly to his Golbat before curling up in a little ball of huff. “I don’t need people. People are _weak_. But they’re my Pokémon, and they’re _tough_ , no matter what anyone says.”

“Thanks,” his Golbat said. He sounded surprised, like he’d never heard his trainer stick up for him before.

“Wow, never thought he’d _say_ it,” Mag muttered in surprise.

“Here,” Chaz said, holding out another antidote bottle. “Apply some more of that, will you? Please.”

“...fine.” Silver uncurled, grabbed the bottle and started applying more antidote. “I don’t want to owe _her_. She’s the reason it all fell apart…”

“What’re your parents’ names?” Chaz asked. “If we know, then when we run into them, we’ll know to stand back and leave them to you.”

“…Dad’s been missing for ages,” Silver muttered. “But you know him. Don’t you remember?”

“Work with me, kid,” Chaz sighed. “I’m no Alakazam, I can’t read your mind, and frankly a lot of you humans look alike to me. What’s your father’s name?”

“My dad,” Silver said, his voice on some weird point between pride and revulsion, “is called Giovanni.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLOT TWIST! … Which is totally not a twist if you’ve played the Celebi event in HGSS. To be fair, I don’t know how many people have. Those event Celebi are like bloody gold dust outside of Japan.
> 
> Name: Gabriel. Species: Gyarados. Nature: Timid. Ability: Intimidate. Level: 30
> 
> (Good grief, what is with his nature? It’s completely opposite to his ability and his being a Gyarados XD)


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 21 
> 
> Deaths: 1

“What’s a ‘souvenir shop’, anyways?” Nider asked as they ran towards Mahogany.

A beam of white-hot energy blasted through the wall of a building ahead of them, slamming a charred and blackened lump of meat that might once have been human against the wall of the next building.

“I guess that is,” Hernan said, revolted. “Let’s get in there and try to avert mass murder.”

“Perfect timing,” Lance said as they ran in through the hole in the wall. Draek was holding a second man up by the neck. “He’s locked the door… what’s your name, Graveler?”

“Oi’m Georgia,” she said warily.

“Those look like four strong arms,” Lance said, pointing at a huge cabinet. “Could you kindly push that aside and rip up the floor? I believe the trapdoor is under there.”

“I’ll give you a hand,” Nider offered. The pair of them hauled the cabinet aside and found a sealed trapdoor, which smashed aside easily enough once Nider had frozen it with an ice beam.

“Good, it doesn’t sound like he managed to set off any alarms,” Lance said, looking back at the captive Rocket, “and he’s not going to. Draek…” he snapped his fingers, and Draek snapped the man’s neck.

“Raikou wept!” Mary swore. Hernan leapt forward and knocked Lance backwards with a punch. Georgia and Nider moved to grab Draek when he went for Hernan.

“Dammit, Lance!” Hernan yelled. “If you can’t do this without killing, then so help me I will ice punch both you and your dragon’s faces off here and now!” His fists iced over.

“Why so angry over _their_ worthless lives?” Lance said, calmly picking himself up and descending the stairs. “They’ve killed friends of yours.”

“Yes…” Carrie said, kneeling next to the dead man. “You kill. They kill. We don’t. That’s rather the point.” She muttered a quick prayer for the murdered Rockets.

“Got tae say, pretty ballsy tae assume yous can take ‘em all oot wi’out havin’ tae kill any o’ ‘em,” Mary said.

“And you just punched a _dragonmaster_!” Nider laughed, watching Draek follow Lance downstairs. “Man, that’s _hardcore_!”

“I’ll do it again, too,” Hernan said, leading them down the stairs after Lance and Draek. “We’ve beaten Lance before. He’s tough, but he doesn’t like ice.”

Below them, alarms finally began to blare.

{}

“Giovanni? Who’s that, then?” Chip asked.

“Giovanni?” Chaz demanded. “As in, the head of _Team Rocket_ , Giovanni?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Silver growled. “He always made out like he was so tough, but he… he lost to _kids_ , and then he _ran away_ , like he was _weak_ … left us behind…” For a fleeting moment, the kid looked painfully lost and lonely. Then his face hardened into an icy mask. “I saw you, you know,” he said bitterly to Chaz. “With _her_. When you were attacking the _wimps_ at the front, Dad made me leave and hide outside, on my _own_. And then he ran _away_ , and he wouldn’t stop, even when I… I _begged_ him not to…” the kid scowled. “Then Mum came back from the Islands, and I told her what’d happened. I thought, now she was back, now she knows he’s weak, we wouldn’t need _him_ anymore… but right away, she wanted to come out here and find _him_. I bet she hasn’t even noticed that I ran away… and it’s ALL HER FAULT!” He jumped to his feet, glaring at Saylee.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Lee!” Chip said, running to Saylee’s side. “Don’t you be movin’, you been poisoned.”

“So that’s why… you hate me…” Saylee murmured weakly, glazed eyes gazing at Silver. “Makes sense… ‘splains a lot… I’m sorry that you suffered, Silver… I really am, but… we couldn’t let Giovanni go… he was hurting people… Pokémon—”

“ _Weaklings_ ,” Silver spat. “There’s nothing wrong with the strong using the weak! What else are they _good_ for?”

“Sounds like Giovanni, alright,” Chaz snorted. He leaned down to glare closely at Silver. “But what’s all that strength for, huh? Strength for the sake of being strong? That’s pointless. There’s no better use for strength than protecting those who’re weak.”

“Why _should_ I protect wimps?” Silver demanded. “Who says I have to?”

“But when you’re weak…” Saylee said hoarsely, “like I am… right now… don’t you want someone… to protect you?” She coughed. “When you were… young and weak… someone protected you…”

“I’m _not_ weak!” Silver shouted. “I’ve never been _weak_! Not for one moment!”

“Yes… you have…” Saylee murmured. “Your Golbat… used to be a blind little Zubat… That Gyarados… you wanted to catch… used to be a helpless Magikarp…” she coughed heavily again, rolling on her side to breathe more easily. “Everyone’s weak… from time to time… you can’t grow strong… if you don’t start out weak…”

“I don’t have time to listen to this bleeding heart nonsense!” Silver yelled. “You make me _sick_! What the hell do you care, anyway? Why do you act like you give a shit about me?! Don’t think I’m going to fall for that! You’re Mum and Dad’s _enemy_!”

“Doesn’t make you… my enemy…” Saylee murmured. “’Sides, I didn’t know that… when we met… back then, you were just…”

_“It’s a long story… but I don’t think that kid should be left on his own…” Tyra said, before running after her trainer._

“…just a lonely kid,” she said, staring sadly at him. “Looking like… you needed help… that you didn’t want…”

“You’re damn right I don’t want _your_ help!” Silver said angrily. “Guess you’re not _completely_ retarded.”

“That’s _rude_ ,” Saylee chastised him, sitting up with the support of Diana and Chaz. “You’re… a jerk, y’know?”

“That’s _rude_ ,” Silver said mockingly.

“But true,” Saylee laughed. The laugh quickly devolved into another bout of coughing. “Probably true… that I’m dumb… guess you just… kind of remind me… of another jerk kid… I used to know… all pride and stubbornness… done stupid things, done _terrible_ things… but not a bad guy, in the end… means well, for all that… just didn’t know any better way…” She smiled a little. “Turned out alright, I guess… ‘cause he had… his sister… his grandpa… his friends… what’ve _you_ got, Silver?”

“That better not be fucking _pity_ ,” Silver said incredulously. “That’s it, I’m done wasting time on you. C’mon, Zeb, Mag.” He turned on his heel to walk off.

“Didn’t know… you knew their names…” Saylee said, smiling at his Golbat and Magneton. Silver froze with a stricken expression that morphed into horror.

“Well, well, well… what have we here?”

{}

“See?” Lance said as the Rocket screamed, clutching at the stump where his left arm used to be. “I didn’t kill him.”

“Mother of…” It took all of Carrie’s self-control not to just brain Lance with her club then and there. “Lance, _why_ did you have Draek rip this man’s arm off?”

“Didn’t trust him,” Lance said, turning back to the man. “So how do you get into the main office? Think carefully now.”

“TWO passwords, okay?!” the victim cried. “There’s two, but I swear, I don’t know either! PLEASE!”

“Fine,” Lance said, shaking his head at Draek. The Rocket sobbed in relief and then fainted as the Dragonite stepped away from him. “We’d better split up and find that office. Whoever’s in charge will be there.”

“There’s hostages doon ‘ere somewheres,” Mary pointed out. “The shopkeep’s family an’ a few other folk, I think.”

“Don’t you _dare_ get them killed,” Carrie said to Lance.

“Give us some credit,” Lance said, striding off to face an oncoming trio of Rockets with Raticate.

“Oi’m thinkin’ it’s best we foind them ‘ostages first,” Georgia said, watching Draek tear into the Raticate. “That man ain’t roight in the ‘ead.”

“Tell us about it,” Hernan muttered. “Let’s try this way.”

Rockets were scurrying every which way like panicked Rattata, easy enough for five Pokémon to take out even without a trainer to coordinate them. Though Nider would never admit it, he was pretty impressed. So was Georgia. Carrie and Hernan swiftly and nonlethally dispatched swathes of Pokémon and humans alike. Hernan had a fascinating range of elemental punches—Mary was already trying to imitate his thunderpunch—and Carrie could produce both fire and ice from her bone club. From the combination moves they pulled off together, this wasn’t their first melee.

After taking out most of the Rockets in the halls, Mary, Hernan and Carrie split off into three small surveillance offices to smash up the equipment. Georgia and Nider continued on down the hall and spotted the hostages huddled together against the far wall of a large, open room. There were ten humans, one with grey hair, a couple about Saylee’s age and one that was very small, barely more than a human baby. Aside from the few square feet of open ground that the hostages were huddled on, the floor was covered in crackling red-and-white Pokémon.

“Don’t touch those Voltorb!” a teenage girl with long brown hair called over. “They’ll zap you.”

“An’ what’s that got t’do wi’ the proice o’ tea in Kanto?” Georgia asked, wading through the buzzing cluster unharmed. “Come on then, moy loves. You’ll be roight safe in Georgia’s arms.”

“Georgia, somethin’ ain’t right…” Nider said warily. The Voltorb weren’t looking angry or threatening— they looked _frightened_ …

“No!” Mary shouted, running into the room as the Voltorb began to glow. “They’re ‘bout tae blow! Georgia, get oot—”

Nider and Mary were flung backwards into the hall as the room exploded.

{}

“Hey, it’s the Exec’s missing kid!” one of the Rockets said, pointing at Silver.

“And look who he’s with!” another man cried, staring at Chaz and stepping back. “A Charizard… and a brunette! You’re _Saylee_!”

“Sounds like he’s wet himself,” Silver sniggered. “ _Weak_.”

“A kidnapper now, are you, bitch?” a woman with short pink hair snarled. “Don’t worry, sweetie, we’ll get you back to your mum soon enough. Boys!” the three of them released a menagerie of Raticate, Muk, Golbat and Weezing. Chaz and Chip flared up and stepped forwards. Silver’s expression hardened into a scowl.

“Don’t tell me what to do!” he shouted angrily, releasing Tyra. “I’m not a KID!”

“Silver, are you going to fight with us?” Tobias said excitedly.

“Shut up!” Silver snapped. “They don’t get to tell me what to do, and neither do _you_! Bite them, you two! Mag, Thunderbolt!”

“Sure thing,” Tyra said, snarling viciously at the sight of the Rockets. She and Zeb darted forwards, fangs bared. Mag immediately zapped an enemy Golbat out of the air.

“We appreciate it, still,” Saylee said, putting an arm around Diana’s neck to hold herself up. “Chip… wanna see what a Flamethrower looks like?”

“Pay attention, little guy,” Chaz said, turning and casually blasting fire over a pair of Golbat that were attempting to flank him.

“The Silver child is a most complex youth, is he not?” Diana commented. She looked up at the sky. “I do so hope that our comrades fare well…”

{}

“Georgia!” Nider yelled, digging into the rubble. “Answer me, girl! GEORGIA!”

“By the bones and spirits,” Carrie muttered as she and Hernan ran in. “What happened?”

“Voltorb, couple dozen ay’ ‘em,” Mary said shakily. “They Rocket bastarts must ay set ‘em tae blow if somethin’ got through…”

“Georgia and those humans are under here!” Nider snapped. “Georgia’s a tough lump, but she wasn’t doin’ so well with that signal! Dammit, help me DIG!”

They began moving rubble and Voltorb fragments, keeping up a muted litany of curses against Team Rocket (Nider wondered if Carrie’s wouldn’t actually do something) and shouting for Georgia.

“Hello?” Muffled human shouting began to drift out of the rubble as they dug.

“Hello!”

“We’re down here!”

“We’re okay!”

“Help us!”

“Hurry—I think she’s hurt!”

“Georgia!” Nider shouted, finding a curiously warm lump of stone. “Georgie, speak to us— huh?”

As they cleared away the rubble, it became more and more noticeable that Georgia’s hide was an odd colour. It was also no longer rough, but smooth and cobbled, except for huge cracks around her four arms that showed scraped and softer stone beneath. She was semiconscious as they rolled her out.

“Get her into her pokéball _now_ ,” Hernan ordered sharply. Nider quickly withdrew Georgia’s pokéball from where he’d wedged it into a chink in his plating and returned her.

“Least she winnae be able tae hear that annoyin’ bloody noise anymair,” Mary commented.

“I wonder if it wouldn’t be bothering her less anyway,” Carrie said, hauling a little girl out of the wreckage. “I think she evolved. Shhh… there, there, little one. It’s alright. You’re safe.”

“We wouldn’t be if she hadn’t shielded us,” the silver-haired lady said, straightening her glasses. “Those awful Rockets had those poor Voltorb wired up to explode if any but a certain path were taken through them… They changed it every time they used it, though, so we couldn’t get out.”

“Sounds like them,” Carrie agreed, ramming her bone club into the ground in front of a pile of Voltorb pieces and beginning to pray.

“You’re the shopkeep an’ family, aye?” Mary said. “Better get up there an’ tell ‘em you’re safe. The stairs up’re clear. If they Rocket bastarts were takin’ hostages, there’s got tae be someyin up there they’re fright of, aye?”

“My husband is an extremely powerful trainer,” the silver-haired woman said smoothly. “Sir Arthur Pryce is his name, an ice master. I think these awful men deserve to learn just how bad frostbite can get.”

“Oh, let me get my Pokémon from where I hid them and then we can _party_ ,” the teenage girl said, grinning as they ran out of the room and headed for the stairs up.

“Between him and Lorelei, these guys can’t catch a warm break,” Hernan said as he watched them go, though he didn’t seem against it. “Nider, Mary, you two see the humans out safely. You need to get Georgia to someone who can heal her, too.”

“What about you guys?” Nider said, looking from him to Carrie. Carrie stood up and withdrew her bone club.

“They’re at rest,” she said. “I promised them vengeance, and they shall have it. Let’s go see if Lance found out who’s in charge here.”

“We won’t let Lance kill them,” Hernan said. Carrie shook her head.

“Nor will we, of course,” she said, “but for what they’ve done to these poor creatures, they might just wish we would.”

{}

“Incompetent fools! Can’t you even defeat a couple of children?”

Silver gasped sharply as another man stepped out of the trees. He was wearing a long, faded black overcoat and had a black hat pulled over his face. His face was too shadowed to discern, but Silver seemed to recognize the outfit. “D-Dad…?”

“Giovanni?” Saylee said in surprise. “Oh, please…. You’re not even the right height.” Tobias flew past his head, stealing the hat. “And you look… _nothing_ like him. Points for the voice, though...”

“But why?” the man complained, pulling off a black wig and some face putty, revealing bright purple hair and beard. “I worked so hard to get it right!”

“Don’t worry,” Saylee assured him. “It’s not a shock… to see a Rocket mess things up…”

“What the hell are you trying to pull, Petrel?!” Silver yelled furiously.

“Just trying to instil a little morale into the troops,” Petrel said, nudging an unconscious Rocket with his foot. “Guess it didn’t work. Oh, well. And what are _you_ doing, huh, kiddo? Do you know who this girl _is_?”

“I’m going to beat her _myself,_ Petrel!” Silver snarled. “In a _match_ , me and her, not sneaking around or ganging up on people like a _coward_!”

“Independent wee bugger, isn’t he?” Saylee said, pulling herself to standing with Chaz’s help. She’d managed to self-apply another antidote, and while it had taken some of the heaviness from her limbs, it was making her head spin. “Don’t fuss, Chaz, I’m feeling better... I really need a checkup and… probably some blood drained… but first things first.” Petrel smirked, releasing a Weezing and a Golbat.

“Bring it on, little girl,” he said. “I’ll do what Giovanni couldn’t and take you ou—”

Mag electrocuted the Golbat, bringing it to the ground.

“You talk too damn much, _weakling_ ,” Silver spat. Petrel ducked as Zeb flew at him. “Besides, I told you, _I’m_ gonna beat her.” With the Golbat down, Tyra attacked the Weezing, biting it out of the air. With his Pokémon down, Petrel turned and fled. “Come back! COWARD!”

“Ooog…” Saylee slumped against Chaz’s side. “Now that I’m standing up… I do feel like I’m gonna hurl…”

“Why the hell did you stand up, then?” Silver said as Diana helped Saylee lie down on Chaz’s back. “Idiot.”

“You’re not the only one… who doesn’t want to look weak,” Saylee muttered. “Especially not… in front of someone like Petrel… he’s probably run back… to the base in Mahogany…”

“He’s not getting there! C’mon, Tyra!” Silver shouted, running off. Tyra, Mag and Zeb went after him.

“We’ve gotta… follow him…” Saylee muttered, shivering. Even with Chaz’s immense body head, she felt chilly.

“My lady, you ought to rest yourself,” Diana said. “In your veins now runneth both the poison of Nider and medicine not meant for you, and is indeed almost poison itself unto your blood…”

“She’s right, Lee,” Chip agreed. “You need t’be restin’.”

“I need rest and… human medicine…” Saylee muttered, “and I’ll get both… once Mahogany is out of… Rocket hands…”

“We’re wasting time,” Chaz said, spreading his wings. “Chip, Toby, get up here and help hold her steady. Let’s go roast some arse!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case you thought Chaz’s paranoia was unjustified… nope. In the games, Lance is a psychopath. It doesn’t matter if it’s Team Rocket he’s fighting, getting a Dragonite to use Hyper Beam on an unprotected human?!
> 
> And I maaaaaaay have traded Georgia to evolve her but plot gave me a legit reason to do so. So there. She’s a Golem.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 21 
> 
> Deaths: 1

“Dammit!”

Lance slammed his fist into the metal door as “VOICE NOT RECOGNIZED” flashed up again in red holographic letters on the door, beeping loudly.

“D’you think we should go back and wake up that scientist that told us the passwords?” Draek suggested.

“Starting to,” Lance agreed.

“What the hell are you doing, poofter?”

“Watch the mouth, child,” Draek snarled. Lance shook his head and put a hand on Draek’s arm. The child was rude, no doubt, but he wasn’t there as an enemy, and his Pokémon were giving Draek a look as if they would rip a chunk out of anyone who touched their trainer, although perhaps they were simply in pain from the radio signal. _The Golbat and the Magneton are nothing to worry about, but the Sneasel and the Feraligatr could be trouble…_

“What are you doing here, boy?” he said. “You were to stay at the lake with Saylee. Where is she?”

“How the hell should I know?” the child demanded. “I’m not her babysitter! Anyway, shouldn’t you be running? There’s an angry old coot up there icing up everyone in black!”

 _Guess they freed the hostages, then. Sounds like Arthur Pryce is still a force to be reckoned with. Some things never change._ “I need to get into the generator room first,” he said, gesturing to the locked door. “That generator needs to be disabled in order to shut off the signal.” The boy’s Pokémon looked sharply at the door. “The password’s ‘Giovanni’, but it also seems to be voice-encoded. I would smash it open, but more than one explosive booby-trap has been set in this place. I heard one go off earlier.”

“So it only opens if the right person says ‘Giovanni’, huh?” the boy said, spitting “Giovanni” as if it were a filthy word.

“Well, can we find _someone_?” the Sneasel said irritably. “That noise is so _annoying_ …”

“Maybe _she’ll_ know,” Draek said, pointing down a perpendicular hallway. The child looked around and adopted an expression of shock, hurt, and the barest flash of joy.

“Mum!” He shouted, stepping forwards involuntarily, before catching himself and stepping back again. He crossed his arms and scowled fiercely at the red-haired woman. She was fairly tall, with sharp, cold features and dark red hair and eyes.

“Thank goodness!” she said, smiling sweetly, though the smile did not reach her eyes. She was flanked by a pair of sneering, black-clad Rocket grunts, but she herself was dressed in white. “I was so worried about you, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, right,” the boy snorted. “I’m amazed you even noticed I was gone. You’ve been having plenty of fun here, I bet. Have you even been _looking_ for Dad?”

His mother frowned. “I’ve been very busy, especially with people like this _awful_ man interfering,” she said, jerking a thumb derisively at Lance. “But soon we’ll find Gi—your father, and we’ll all be together as a family again. Won’t that be nice?” She smiled again, though Lance caught the brief flicker of her eyes towards the door when she nearly said Giovanni’s name. “Come on, sweetheart… come home.” She reached out to her son. Tentatively, he stepped towards her.

“I’ve got a better plan,” Lance said, snapping his fingers and pointing at the boy. Draek grabbed him. “It looks like your voice can open the door. So open it, or we’ll see if your boy’s blood is any redder than his hair.”

“Let me GO!” the boy screamed.

“I’ll cut you, you bastard!” the boy’s Sneasel screeched, leaping forwards, but the Feraligatr grabbed her.

“Don’t, he could hurt Silver!” the large water-type snarled, struggling with the angry smaller Pokémon. The Golbat fluttered nervously behind her shoulder and then flew off down the passageway.

“Zeb!” the Magneton screeched, chasing after it.

Silver’s mother just scowled. “I’m not opening the door,” she said firmly. The boy looked stricken, then screamed in pain as Draek dragged a claw down his arm. His Feraligatr let go of his Sneasel, and they leapt towards Lance, but Draek stepped forwards and dug his claw in even more, making the boy scream louder as his blood dripped on the floor. The Pokémon both stopped in their tracks, but the woman in white didn’t move or flinch.

“Lance, what the HELL are you DOING?!”

Draek howled as blue dragonfire hit him in the back. “Unhand the child, knave!” Diana snarled, readying another blast. When Draek flinched, Chaz darted forwards and snatched the child out of his grasp, setting him down next to Saylee, who was grey-faced but furious, leaning against the wall on the stairs down from the surface. The Golbat and Magneton flew past her shoulder to fuss over Silver. Saylee’s Quilava ran up next to Diana, with the Togetic fluttering protectively around both of them. Lance stepped back, placing his back to the wall next to the door, trying to keep both the red-haired woman and Saylee in his sights at once.

“Draek?” he said quietly. Draek shook his head; no need for medical treatment. _Good. That blast just startled him, it didn’t actually hurt him_ …

“Silver, are you okay?” Saylee said weakly, glaring at Lance. Silver nodded dumbly, shaking and clutching his bleeding left arm, staring wide-eyed and pale-faced at his mother.

“Leave me alone, I’m fine,” he muttered when his Pokémon immediately crowded around him. The Golbat, Magneton and Sneasel placed themselves defensively between Lance and their trainer, but the Feraligatr was glaring at Silver’s mother. The Rocket executive’s glare and those of her men were focused entirely on Saylee.

 _“You,_ ” she snarled, grabbing her pokéballs. “Get away from my son _this second_!”

“So you care all of a sudden?” Silver snapped. “I only got hurt ‘cause _you_ were too much of a bitch to open the stupid door!” He was angry, but his voice wobbled perceptively. His hand was shaking as he tried to staunch the flow of blood from his arm.

“Don’t you _dare_ talk to me like that!” she snapped right back, pointing at the Pokémon surrounding him—Lance’s and Saylee’s and even Silver’s own. “You two, help me deal with these insolent scum!” she screeched, looking to her subordinates.

“Yes ma’am, Ms. Ariana!” the men chorused, releasing a Drowzee and a Grimer as Ariana herself produced a Vileplume, Arbok and Murkrow. Silver’s Pokémon, looking suspiciously at Draek, moved forwards to face them.

“You really think you can attack us with such weak Pokémon as those?” Lance said, gesturing Draek forwards.

“Silver, step back here, it’s safer,” Saylee called, digging into her bag and pulling out a roll of bandages. “Let me wrap up your arm…”

“You keep away from him, you little bitch!” Ariana snarled, pointing at Saylee. Her Vileplume jumped towards Saylee.

“Get her, Chaz,” Saylee said. Chaz’s flamethrower knocked the attacking Vileplume back easily. “Nice language to use in front of your child. So that’s where he gets his filthy mouth from.”

“Stop pretending that you _care_!” Silver shouted. He was trying to still sound angry, but his voice was shaking audibly. “Both of you! And stop pretending that _he_ cares, too! He fucked off ages ago and never said a word… isn’t it obvious that old what’s-his-name doesn’t give a shit about us?!”

“ _Giovanni_ cares about us very much, you ungrateful little—” Ariana snarled, before turning as white as her uniform as the door _beeped_ and slid open.

“Got you to say it!” Silver laughed bitterly. He was still pallid and trembling, but he managed to grin horribly at his mother. “Sucker.” He stepped towards Saylee, allowing her to wrap his arm into a clumsy sling, which made Ariana’s face contort with rage again.

 _Probably half of why the brat did it,_ Lance thought, watching Ariana glower furiously at Saylee. _Still, kudos to him for getting the door open…_

Draek took out the Arbok and the Grimer in one sweep, while the Sneasel took care of the Drowzee. Chaz had already finished Ariana’s Vileplume. “Come on, Draek, let’s destroy that generator!” Lance shouted, running into the room.

“I shall assist you, should you be agreeable,” Diana said, following. The huge, humming generator made her wince, but she still approached it proudly.

“I see that serving under Saylee hasn’t kept you from being a true dragon,” Lance said with a smile. “Then let’s destroy it! ATTACK!”

{}

“Stop them!” Ariana shouted at her Murkrow. “Don’t let them interfere!”

“Yes, ma’am!” The Murkrow flew after Lance and the dragons but was snapped out of the air by Tyra, who then leapt at Ariana.

“Tyra, what’re you _doing_?” Silver shouted. Tyra spat the Murkrow out at Ariana.

“I’ve had just about enough of her,” Tyra snarled, glaring at Ariana. “She acts like she cares, but hell, anyone can see she only cares about _Giovanni_. And just the same, it’s obvious he doesn’t care about either of you. He’s probably wandered off and got yet another family already,” she taunted Ariana, who actually _snarled_ in fury.

“Yet another…?” Saylee asked Silver, glancing between him and the doorway as she heard the sounds of battle in the next room. _What are Lance and the dragons facing?_

“Dad had another family… before,” Silver muttered. Saylee looked sharply back at him. “I found a photo of him with a lady that wasn’t Mum, with a baby. He said he looked for them but never found them, but that was _lies_ , I bet. He probably never cared about them, any more than he ever cared about _us_ …”

“Oh, Silver…” Unfortunately, it wasn’t an uncommon tale. The fighting and destruction of the civil war had stranded a lot of people far from home with no identification. Some had begun new lives and new families, only to be identified years later by wives, husbands or children that they hadn’t known they had. Saylee’s own father was unknown, as were the parents of Brock, Misty, and most of the people who had drifted into Pallet. Professor Oak had never known who his wife was or what had become of her. Some people were still searching, seventeen years on, but it wouldn’t be hard to believe that Giovanni had never bothered.

“How dare you?!” Ariana shrieked at her defeated henchmen. “You useless imbeciles! Don’t you have any more Pokémon?”

“You wouldn’t let us have more, ma’am…” one of the Rocket grunts began to argue. He shut up and all three Rockets backed away as Chaz and Tyra began to stalk towards them. Chip darted forwards to Chaz’s side, flaring up at the Rockets, with Tobias hovering next to him to protect him, glaring angrily at the Rockets. Then Diana began to shout.

“Make haste and flee! It is a tr—”

Saylee grabbed Silver and bent protectively over the boy as the world began to shake.

{}

Everything was blurry and bright. Her head was _killing_ her, and the bright light wasn’t helping. She reached up to rub her head, to cover her eyes, and something tugged on her arm. She grabbed her arm and felt a thin plastic tube attached to it.

What was going on? Where _was_ she? “Mum? Red?” she called, the only two names that sprang to mind. Then a third surfaced. “Blue? Somebody…?”

She heard a door open. “I’m here, Lyra,” a woman’s voice said. Somebody pressed glasses into her hand. She opened her eyes and put them on, looking around. She couldn’t see anyone else in the white, airy room with her except a black-haired woman she didn’t know.

“Where am I?” she asked.

“You’re in the Mahogany Town clinic,” the woman said. “Do you remember what happened, Lyra?”

None of that made any sense to her. “My name’s not—“

“The Rocket Base caved in,” a voice rumbled. She looked around to see a big orange head peering in through the window. A warm, familiar face.

“Chaz!” she said as memory began drifting back. She glanced around again and realized that Vera was the woman sitting next to her. Saylee had some kind of red fluid drip going into her arm and was wired up to a pulse monitor, so the clean, pale room had to be a hospital room. She looked out of the window and got a glimpse of paved streets covered in lumps of melting ice before Tobias flew through the window and hugged her. “Tobias too! I’m glad you’re okay…”

“Chaz protected us!” Tobias said. “But we were so _scared_ when we couldn’t find you at first…”

“I was worried you’d be disoriented,” Chaz said, nudging her cheek. “Especially after getting knocked out again…”

“I still feel woozy…” Saylee was happy to see her Pokémon, but light still hurt her head, and she was already tired. “The last thing I remember is that we were underground… with Lance and Silver… and that executive woman.”

“Ariana,” Vera said. “The rubble from the hideout’s been dug out, but there’s no sign of her. Looks like she got away.”

“Silver’s gone too,” Tobias added. “When we dug you all out, he called you stupid and then him and his Pokémon ran off. We would’ve gone after him, but we had to get you and ourselves out…”

“And he’s calling _me_ stupid?” Saylee muttered. His arm had been bleeding so much… _damn_ _Lance and his extreme methods…_

The door opened again and Hernan and Carrie peered in, drawn by the sound of voices. They smiled at Saylee.

“We’re glad to see you’re alright,” Hernan said, gently patting Saylee’s hand. “They had Voltorb suicide traps all over the place… poor things had their shells cracked open and were hooked to explode under various conditions—including trying to escape—whether they liked it or not.”

“There were Electrodes connected to the generator,” Carrie added solemnly. “That’s why the explosion was so much bigger. I’m sorry, but it killed Diana.”

Saylee squeezed her eyes closed. She felt a human hand on hers this time, Vera’s. Saylee could almost pretend that the comforting gesture was from her mother’s hand, not the former Rocket’s. It helped a little, but only a little. Her headache and exhaustion intensified sharply.

“Draek survived, probably because he’d evolved,” Chaz said softly. “But he’s in intensive care. So is Lance. Draek shielded him, but he still got pretty hurt.”

“Georgia also got hurt protecting the hostages from a Voltorb explosion,” Hernan said. “She also survived by evolving just in time, but she didn’t evolve… um, right.”

“What do you mean?” Saylee asked quickly, her eyes snapping open.

“I had a look in your Pokédex,” Vera said. “The upper two arms on a Graveller normally fall off upon evolution, but she still has them. They still work, too, but there are large cracks in her shell. She’ll be very vulnerable if hit in the wrong place.” The door creaked open again as Chip lumbered in.

“Lee, you’re up!” he said happily, leaning down to hug her. Saylee rubbed her eyes, but her swimming head wasn’t causing her to see things.

“So’re you!” She said in surprise. “Chip… you’re a _Typhlosion_?”

“Oh… aye!” Chip said, looking down at his now five-and-a-half foot tall body as if he’d only just noticed that he was now bipedal. “Don’t be worryin’, wasn’t that signal. Just been evolvin’ yesterday, matter o’ fact. Been trainin’ with the big guy there.” He ambled over to Chaz and the pair fist-bumped. “If him can’t be settin’ it on fire, it can’t be gettin’ set on fire!”

“That’s… encouraging,” Saylee sighed. “Nobody else was hurt, were they?”

“Everyone else is okay,” Tobias promised. “Nider and Mary are visiting Georgia just now. Aside from Diana and those Rockets Lance killed, nobody’s going to die.”

“I’m glad, but…” Saylee took a deep breath to try and stave off tears. “Diana... I know you saw her off safely, Carrie. If Ariana’s on the loose, I don’t have time to cry…”

“I’m afraid you really don’t,” Vera said, picking up Saylee’s pokégear and switching on the radio. “You’ve been out a couple of days. This started about six hours ago.”

“— _dio Tower. This is the Radio Tower. We are pleased to declare Team Rocket's revival. ...Giovanni? ...Can you hear us? We have finally—“_

Vera clicked the pokégear off as Saylee felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. “They’ve occupied Goldenrod?”

“I’ve been hearing that signal again too,” Tobias added softly. “Since that broadcast started. It’s probably everywhere.”

“Kanto was just a branch of Team Rocket,” Vera said. “Most of the members there were recruited from the starving and desperate populace of Kanto. The main body of Rockets, the career criminals, they’ve still been out here the whole time, still active. There’s more than enough foot soldiers, and now they have a city full of hostages.”

“And Ariana recognized me,” Saylee cursed. “So did Petrel. If I try to fly in on Chaz…”

“You don’t have to,” Vera said.

“You can’t stop me going,” Saylee said, pushing the sheet aside and swinging her legs out of bed. She pushed down the fog in her head, the heaviness in her limbs. She’d been tired before. She could keep going so long as she just didn’t stop. “An entire city’s at risk, and if they’re using the radio tower to send the broadcast across the entire country, _millions_ of Pokémon could be suffering. Those foot soldiers at the lake… I’m not sure if they escaped Kanto or if they’ve just heard of me, but either way they were scared of us. I intend to give them every reason to be.”

“I’m not trying to stop you going,” Vera promised. “I’m just trying to stop you from flying in when you can _walk_.”

“What?” Saylee said curiously. Vera picked up a bag at her heels and dumped a Team Rocket uniform onto Saylee’s lap.

“I kept it in case it’d come in handy,” Vera explained. “I washed and mended it. I’m not really a seamstress, but it’s about your size anyway.”

“Saylee, you’re hurt,” Chaz said warningly. “They took a lot of blood from you to get Nider’s poison out of your system, and you’re injured… This is a bad idea…”

“I know,” Saylee said, making a face at the short black skirt. “Trust me, I’m keen to get this over and done with as soon as possible.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EXPLOSION. FUCKING EXPLOSION. SO MUCH HATE.
> 
> RIP Diana the Dragonair, level 15-35


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 21 
> 
> Deaths: 1

“I do _not_ have the thighs for this…”

“I don’t have matching trousers. Don’t fidget, stop tugging at the skirt; it’ll be a dead giveaway that you’re not used to that uniform. Remember: you have an important report to make to Archer.”

Saylee nodded him. “I remember him. Blue-haired wanker in a white outfit.” She sat on one of the sofas to pull her boots on.

“Yeah, but he’s Mr. Archer, sir to you while you’re in that outfit,” Vera corrected her. “The only reason Proton has the title of ‘cruellest guy in Team Rocket’ instead of Archer is because Archer gives something resembling a shit about his own Pokémon. Not that he isn’t utterly brutal to everyone else.”

“I know,” Saylee said, remembering the screaming Lapras.

“Because he isn’t inclined to abandon his Pokémon after a loss or work them to death,” Vera said, straightening Saylee’s black hat, “his Pokémon are among the strongest in Team Rocket. He’s stronger than Ariana. Everyone knows that the only reason she outranks him is that she was shagging Giovanni. You might remember his Houndoom—I was fighting with him at the warehouse, if not very well.”

“Not very well?” Saylee said. “That thing nearly crisped us!”

Vera nodded. “ _Nearly_. And despite him threatening you with eternal burns, he wasn’t actually bothering to use the dark fire that has that effect. He’s much more deadly when directed by Archer, trust me. You got lucky that they elected to evacuate that day.”

“Nope,” Saylee said, getting up again to grab her pokéballs off of the sideboard and slip them into the pouch on her belt. “I didn’t get lucky. _They_ did.”

“Who is that?” and old woman yelled sharply. “Who’s there?!”

“Wait!” Saylee shouted, spinning around to face the door and pulling off her hat as the lights flicked on.  “Ma’am, it’s okay, it’s me, Lyra!”

“Lyra?” Ethan’s grandfather said suspiciously. “What the hell are you doing in our house, girl? Why on earth are you wearing _that_ uniform?”

“I’m sorry,” Saylee said quickly. “Your Pokémon let me in so I could change. I’m not in Team Rocket, I swear. This is an espionage deal.”

“It is…?” Ethan’s grandmother said, walking up and peering closely at Saylee. “You’re awfully pale.”

“I’ll be fine,” Saylee insisted, closing her eyes for a moment and focusing herself on something other than how woozy she did in fact feel. She’d probably sleep for a week when she could, but she couldn’t. Not yet.

_Think of Diana. And Wendy. Rachel, Sparta, Olivia, Carrie’s mother, Hernan’s brother… and think of Silver. He’s gone after them alone. He wants to prove himself, but he’s just a kid, and his mother’s already proved that his life isn’t her first priority._

“Well, girl, if you are going out there…” Ethan’s grandfather said nervously, “can you keep an eye out for Ethan?”

“Ethan?” Saylee asked, her eyes snapping open.

“He went into the city with Marina before Team Rocket appeared, and we haven’t seen him since…” Ethan’s grandmother said tremulously. “The city gates have those awful thugs…”

“Yeah, we saw them when we were creeping around through the forests around the city limits,” Saylee said, pulling her hair back into a single ponytail and then pulling the black Rocket cap low over her face. “Hence the costume. Go look after your Pokémon, they’re huddled in the back. The signal’s hurting them. Vera…”

“I know,” Vera said, holding up the list of phone numbers that Saylee had given her. “Don’t worry, I want to see Team Rocket finished here and now as much as you do. I’ve helped you too much. They’ll murder me.”

“I’ll keep in touch,” Saylee promised, walking out towards Goldenrod.

{}

To her surprise, Vera’s pokégear rang ten minutes later, in between her own phone calls. “Is everything alright?” she asked, picking up.

“ _You tell me._ ”

It was a young man’s voice, so distorted by the crackle of static that Vera couldn’t identify it. It was Professor Elm’s caller ID, but it didn’t sound like him… “Who is this?”

“ _I was going to ask where you and Saylee are, but everyone’s listening to a Team Rocket radio broadcast and talking about whether or not the Goldenrod Radio Tower’s been taken over, so I’m going to take a wild flying guess that you’re both somewhere near Goldenrod.”_

It was the dry, irritated tone that sparked recognition. “Blue Oak!”

“ _Where’s Saylee? I need to talk to her. She doesn’t know what she’s doing._ ”

“She’s beaten Rockets before,” Vera said. “I’m sure she—”

“ _I have absolutely no doubt of her ability to kick ass. It’s just that if Giovanni_ does _show up, there’s something she needs to know first. Now where is she? Don’t make me ask again, echoes bug me._ ”

“She’s in Goldenrod already,” Vera said. “Try to get through those gates without a Rocket uniform and you’ll have fifty Rockets to deal with. From what I’ve heard of Saffron, your face will put them on red alert just as much as Saylee’s.”

“ _Kicking that much ass’ll take too much time. Dammit, if I knew my way around this stupid country, Adam could teleport us in…”_

“Go to Cherrygrove market, and ask for Darren,” Vera instructed. “His brother’s Kadabra should have some directions for you.”

{}

There were Rockets _everywhere_. A group of them were looting the department store and casino, while a large pack was besieging the police station. Only human officers and a single Arcanine were fighting outside; the rest of the police Pokémon were likely in too much pain to fight.

The rest of the Rockets were intimidating people into hiding in their homes. Saylee passed a few buildings where people had already barricaded ground floor doors and windows with furniture.

Saylee spent some time eavesdropping on a Rocket conversation about the girls in the Pokémon club hiding and crying at the back of their club instead of fighting. After she felt like she’d picked up the patter, she approached the group guarding the Radio Tower.

She stopped around a corner and into an alley next to the half-constructed train station for a brief moment, taking a deep breath. She still felt weak and tired, but she had to walk straight and speak without panting. She didn’t have time to wait around and be questioned. Taking out the Executives and stopping the signal was first priority.

“Hey, where’s the bosses?” she asked, keeping her hat low and speaking snidely out of her nose. “I’ve got big news to report.”

“Well, spit it out,” one of the guards said.

“That bitch Saylee’s been seen up at the National Park,” she said, pointing north.

“What? What the hell are you doing here?!” the guard shouted. “We need to take that fucker out!”

“I’m not attacking that crazy skank,” Saylee shot back. “The bosses are tough, they can handle it.”

“Right, wimp, you go tell them,” the guard said, pointing up the tower. “C’mon, let’s get some guys together and go take her down!”

“Suckers,” Saylee muttered, walking into the tower as they ran off. The reception area was full of overturned plush sofas and fallen potted plants. There was a smear of blood on the security guard’s desk. Nobody was in sight except for the guard on the stairs, who waved her up. Before she reached the stairs, though, the door burst open again.

“Shadow Claw!”

A Sneasel leapt past Saylee and slashed the guard on the stairs in the shins. He fell, clutching his bleeding shins and screaming, until Silver kicked him in the forehead.

“Silver?” Saylee gasped. “What’re you—?!”

“ _You_?” Silver said, turning an odd shade of white as he turned to notice her. “Why’re you—what’re you doing, dressed like _them_? Are you _one of them_?!”

Saylee realized that Silver was staring at her uniform. “Hold on, Silver, it’s not—“

“Well, well, what’s all the fuss about?”

Saylee spun around at that voice, reaching for the pokéball pouch on her belt, but her limbs felt heavy, and the movement made her dizzy. Proton moved much faster, grabbing her right wrist in a death grip and pushing her back against the wall. The tip of his knife scraped the left lens of her glasses.

The lens suddenly didn’t feel like any sort of protection. On the contrary, it suddenly felt as if she had a knife blade and a lot of potential broken glass right in front of her left eye.

“Isn’t this special,” Proton said, grinning slowly as he raise the knife up to flick off Saylee’s hat. “Both meddling little girls are the same person! With quite a right hook, as I recall.” He pulled the knife away from her face and slashed it down, cutting across the back of Saylee’s left hand as she tried to inch it around to her pokéball pouch and then cutting her belt off. He kicked it aside, putting Saylee’s Pokémon out of her reach. She winced in pain as the knife bit into her hip as it cut through her belt.

“Oi, Proton,” Silver said uncertainly. “What’re you gonna do to her?”

“Your mother’s waiting for you upstairs,” Proton said. Silver started towards the stairs and then looked hesitantly back.

“You’re not gonna… _kill_ her, are you?” he said awkwardly.

“And we care _why_?” his Sneasel wanted to know.

“You don’t,” Proton scoffed. “Why _should_ you care if she lives or dies? She’s the reason your parents left you.” Saylee saw Silver flinch.

“Yeah, but… she saved my life,” Silver admitted grudgingly, clutching the dirty sling on his left arm.

“How very sweet,” Proton said softly. “Go now, boy, and I promise I won’t kill her. Good enough?” He pressed the knife into Saylee’s throat a little and she gasped as she felt it draw blood. “Go on, now. Ariana doesn’t want us to hurt you, but I have _such_ a short temper…”

“Silver, go on,” Saylee choked out. “I’ll be fine. You and your mother need to… talk… right? Go on…” She wished she had a Sneasel’s claws, but she didn’t like the look in Proton’s eyes. In Slowpoke Well, he hadn’t hesitated to try to gut Chip and Mary.

“If you really want, I could cut him down…” the Sneasel muttered.

“Don’t,” Silver said. “If she’s as not weak as she says she is, she’ll be fine. C’mon.” He and his Sneasel ran up the stairs.

“Aren’t children sweet?” Proton said, watching him go. “Don’t worry, I really won’t kill you… at least not right away. We owe you a lot…”

“Oh, you don’t have to pay me back,” Saylee said, ducking her head and kneeing him hard in the groin. He reflexively doubled over, letting go of her, giving her the space to push the knife away. She shoved past him and dove for her pokéballs.

“Now, now!” Proton growled, tackling her. Saylee landed hard on her stomach. “Not so brave or strong without your Pokémon, are you?”

“Let me go, you bastard!” Saylee yelled, struggling to get away and reach her Pokémon, but she just didn’t have the strength. Proton was kneeling on her back with one arm pressed against her shoulder blades to hold her down. Saylee turned her head to look back at him from the corner of her eyes and tried not to panic as she saw him raising the knife again. She could hear Rockets running down the stairs behind him.

“Look, everyone!” Proton sang, thrusting the knife down. “She bleeds just like anyone else! Wanna see?”

“What the _fuck_ do you think you’re doing?”

The Rockets on the stairs were knocked down by a blast of water that hit them with the force of a truck, judging by how it dented the handrail. At the same instant, a huge grey hand grabbed Proton’s wrist before the knife reached Saylee. Two more strong grey hands gripped him around the neck, while a fourth grabbed his left arm.

“Here.” An arm wrapped around Saylee’s shoulders and pulled her to her feet. “What’s with the ugly-ass outfit?”

“ _Blue_?” Saylee said in surprise, wincing and pressing a hand over the wound in her right side as standing up sent a pang of pain through it. “What’re _you_ doing here?”

“Saving your stupid ass, from the looks of it,” Blue said, frowning. “Ceez, Saylee… you’re whiter than a Persian… and you’re still bleeding!” He sucked in his breath sharply and reached out to touch her neck. “That bastard tried to slit your throat…”

“It’s not a deep cut, I’m alright,” Saylee said. Blue pulled a roll of bandages out of one of his jacket pockets—he had a new grey jacket with quite a few—and handed them to her before turning an angry glare on Proton.

“Y’know, you’re lucky Chaz isn’t out just now,” he said conversationally. “I only _wish_ I could breathe fire right now. Mario?”

“Yeah?” his Machamp said, tightening his grip on the struggling Proton.

“Don’t you think that wall could do with a little more of his face?”

Mario grinned and started making Proton yell in pain.

“Kinda think the world could do with a little less of his face,” Saylee said, tying off a bandage around her hand and stooping to pick up her pouch of pokéballs. The room spun when she straightened up again, the wound in her side hurting every time she moved. “Oooh…”

“Saylee!” Blue put an arm around her shoulders to steady her. “Ceez, sit down a moment, will you? Mario, guard the front door. Sam…”

“Anyone who wants down these stairs better like water slides,” Sam promised, sending another blast up at someone at the top of the staircase. Blue steered Saylee towards one of the few sofas that was still the right way up.

“We’ll only have a few minutes,” Saylee said, holding up her ponytail so Blue could wrap bandages around her neck. “They’re broadcasting that signal all over the country. It’s hurting young and weak Pokémon…”

“Would you calm down, moron?” Blue said, pressing the bandages and a cloth patch into her hand. “Here. You look like you’ve lost a lot of blood, so might want to hang on to what you’ve got left. Get that patch on your hip or something.” He turned his back, a little red-faced, while Saylee pulled down the top of her skirt so she could put the patch over the cut.

“I can’t wait to get this stupid uniform off now that espionage is bust,” she grumbled. She pulled the skirt back up and handed the bandages back to Blue. “Thank you,” she said softly. “For saving me from that creep. I just got poisoned and blown up a couple of days ago, so I know I’m rushing into this, but…”

“Well, what the hell else is there to do right now?” Blue asked. “Much as I’d love to drag your stupid ass to the hospital, there’s Rockets running around on high alert out there, and Rockets on high alert up there.” He pointed up through the ceiling. “One way or another, we’re going to have to fight our way through, and I mean _we_. I know you’re not going to drop this now. So I’ll help you get it done _quickly_. No doubt it needs to be done. That signal needs to be destroyed. It’s a good thing you’re trying to do here, but…”

“You tend to get pretty mad at me for trying to do the right thing,” Saylee said. Blue reached out to touch the cut on her neck again, and this time let his fingers linger.

“I get mad at you because you rush off on your own and get hurt like this,” he said. “You think I _like_ seeing that? You’re a good trainer, and your Pokémon are powerful, but that was no good against Proton just now, was it? You end up stuck on your own, and you shouldn’t have to. You don’t have to do this on your own.”

“Thanks,” Saylee said, reaching up to hold his hand. “It’s not like I _want_ to do this on my own… I don’t feel invincible with my Pokémon. I’ve seen them die too often. But right now…” she carefully stood up. “Shall we do this Silph Style?”

“Wait,” Blue said, digging into his coat. “Before we go… well, it’s just that, if Giovanni _does_ show up, there’s something you might need to know first.”

{}

“Hit both gates at the same time and you’ll break up their habit of attacking en masse,” Vera explained. “And the Execs’ll be very busy soon enough. Without direction, your average Rocket recruit is liable to run for it when faced with any Pokémon that’s actually been trained at all. Some will still fight, though. The Executives can be pretty scary when they’re pissed off…” Vera fidgeted nervously. _If Giovanni returns, if this goes down badly and the Rockets win in any way, I’m a dead woman._ That was why she’d called every powerful trainer she could reach. Saylee didn’t know that Vera was taking these measures, but she had to do everything she could. _Besides, do those kids really think they can take on an entire city of Rockets, just the two of them?_

“So we just have to scare them more than your executives do?” Peggy said, flaring up her new yellow crest.

“I think they’ll be scared,” Falkner said, petting her beak with a smile. “You’ve come a long way very fast… you’re lucky that you were strong enough to handle that signal forcing you into a second evolution.” His pokégear rang, sounding like a Hoothoot. “It’s me. Who’ve you got…? Yep. Twenty minutes, then. Don’t worry, I’ve got backup. See you there.” He hung up and turned back to Vera. “Sir Pryce is out there with Morty, that psychic from Ecruteak, and a girl named Jasmine from Olivine. They say Chuck’s on his way. It’s pretty rare to get the old warrior out from under his waterfall…” he shook his head. “Just us two and our Pokémon on the south gate, I guess.”

“…Mind if I join in?”

“Aren’t you… Bugsy?” Falkner said, staring at the kid flying down on the back of a tall red Scizor. “The bug prodigy from Azaela?”

“Kinda,” Bugsy said nervously. “I heard it was Team Rocket on the radio. They came to Azaela before and kidnapped our Slowpoke when I wasn’t there to fight for them… I need to make them pay for that!”

“Fair enough,” Falkner said, nodding to the kid. “Come on. I hope your insect can keep up with Peggy and Pawel!”

“Watch me, flyboy,” Sadila said, shooting up into the air as soon as her trainer was on her back.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 20 
> 
> Deaths: 2

Some of the Rockets in the Radio Tower were Saffron escapees. They tended to run the second they saw Saylee and Blue. Others shouted at their retreating comrades for running away from “a couple of kids” and launched into the attack. That never lasted long. Saylee’s Pokémon were furious to discover that their trainer had nearly been killed in their absence, and there was no more ready target for their anger than Team Rocket. Chaz’s rage was such that his tail flame had actually gone white, something that Saylee had never seen before. Some items in his vicinity were spontaneously combusting, and Sam was spending as much time cleaning up after her enraged friend as she was actually fighting.

“How’re you holding up, wimp?” Blue teased as they fought to free a group of terrified hostages; Saylee assumed that they were singers, as she recognized some of them from posters around Goldenrod.

“My knees are bloody freezing,” Saylee complained, taking the teasing for what it was. “Couldn’t give me your trousers too, could you? This skirt barely qualifies as clothes.” He’d given her his jacket on the first floor, when another hostage had panicked at the sight of the uniform she was still wearing. He was so much taller than her now that his jacket was longer on her than the stupid skirt. She’d even had to roll up the sleeves.

The jacket was warm, at least, and it comforted her, helped her stay steady even when her world felt like it had tipped off its axis. The familiarity of bickering with Blue helped her feel normal.

“Didn’t know you wanted into my pants that bad,” he quipped, smirking. Nider sniggered.

“Wheesht and get rid of those stair guards,” Saylee grumbled.

“The director’s office is up there,” said a man with a station headset slung around his neck and a t-shirt with the Goldenrod Radio logo. “I hope he’s alright… he’s been acting odd for the past few days…”

“We’ll go see,” Blue promised as they ran for the stairs. Saylee staggered a little on the stairs, dizzied by the incline. Without a word, Blue put a hand under her arm to support her. She was immensely grateful that he didn’t tell her to go back or stay out of it. She couldn’t, not now. He had to have known that when he’d shown her the photograph.

“Let’s just get this over with,” he said instead, pushing open the door to the director’s office.

It was smaller than Saylee had expected. Only Carry, Hernan and Mary were able to follow her up out of her own Pokémon; all of Blue’s but Edgar, his Exeggutor, were too large to fit up the stairs. That left six of them facing a man in a brown suit and hat, sitting in the director’s chair behind a large, dark brown desk.

“Petrel, this is ridiculous,” Saylee complained. “You didn’t even dye your hair!”

“Yeah, well, doesn’t matter over the radio, does it?” Petrel sneered, hitting a button under the desk. The door slammed shut and locked behind them. Petrel released a horde of Koffing and a big, belching Weezing as Carrie and Hernan leapt at him. The room rapidly filled with stinging purple smoke.

“It’s poisonous!” Saylee shouted, pulling Blue’s jacket over her nose and mouth. Blue dropped to his knees, tugging on her arm to get her to get down on the floor as well.

“You’re not really over one bout of poisoning, let’s not have another,” he said, his voice muffled by his shirt. “Edgar, break that damn door down!”

“I cannae see a bloody thing!” Mary coughed. “CARRIE! HERNAN!”

Saylee heard a _click_ and felt a chill brush her face.

“He’s going out the window!” she shouted to her Pokémon.

“No he’s _not_!”

There was a keening wail, and a pink glow filled the room. Koffing began to fall out of the air, one after another. The Weezing was last, finally crashing heavily to the ground. The door broke down under Edgar’s efforts, and the gas quickly dissipated, allowing them to see that the only thing left in the air was Tobias, glowing pink all over.

“See?” he said to his parents, who were holding Petrel down in a pair of armlocks. “I got _good_ at Extrasensory.”

“That you did,” Hernan said proudly, reaching up to fistbump his son.

“That was wonderful, Toby,” Carrie said warmly, her voice turning back to ice as she looked down at Petrel. “Now, then… Petrel, was it?”

“Question,” Saylee said, looking around. “Ariana’s son came up the stairs. Where is he?”

“That stupid kid? He never came here,” Petrel grunted. “Might’ve gone to the maintenance area… ‘s where the bosses are…”

“And just how do we get into _that_?” Blue demanded.

“On my desk… key to the basement entrance…” Petrel grunted. “Don’t have the key… to th’one up here… Please… make ‘em let go…!”

“That’s up to them,” Saylee said. Carrie and Hernan looked at each other, shrugged, and then stepped back, dropping Petrel roughly to the floor.

“You look tired,” Blue said. “Edgar? Give him a nap.” Edgar grinned, his many eyes beginning to glow as he rounded on Petrel.

“That was proper hard, Tobes,” Mary said. “Well done, like.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and Tobias nearly fell out of the air.

“Did you find anything, Toby?” Saylee asked, grinning at his reaction. Tobias collected himself and nodded.

“It’s really busy out there,” he said. “I saw Holly helping fight some Rockets away from the gift shop. She’s evolved again! She’s a great big Jumpluff! Oh, and Peggy and Steve, they’re here with Falkner!”

“That’s great,” Saylee said. “What else?”

“Didn’t see Ethan or Marina,” Tobias confessed. “But y’know what I _did_ see? A Geisha going underground!”

“ _What_?!” Mary and Saylee gasped together.

“A what?” Blue asked.

“A Geisha,” Saylee said, grabbing his hand and pulling him back towards the stairs. “A really _weird_ woman. And if she’s here, something weird is going on.”

{}

There was some fighting in the streets, but it was nothing like Saffron. Goldenrod’s population vastly exceeded that of Saffron, and while a single Pokémon was stronger than a single human, once they’d seen the Rockets getting beaten back, the cityfolk discovered that a Raticate and its trainer were easily knocked out by twenty humans with hockey sticks and crowbars. The Rockets were getting taken out en masse.

“That’s the underground?” Blue said, watching Chaz and Chip knock a couple of guarding grunts aside. Chip was taller than they were now, and had developed a lot of brute muscle along with superior firepower.

“Yeah,” Saylee said. She rubbed her eyes as dizziness assaulted her again. She really had lost a _lot_ of blood…

“Starting to wish I hadn’t told you,” Blue grumbled, taking her arm again to help her steady herself. “It’s made you more stubborn than ever.” Saylee squeezed his arm. “If I knew where the damn hospital was in this city, I’d be dragging your ass there ten minutes ago.”

“Thank you for telling me,” Saylee said softly. “Thank you for not trying to hide it…”

“Learned my lesson on that,” Blue said, looking around at their Pokémon flanking them as they descended underground. Chaz, Chip and Sam were leading—Chip because he knew the way, Chaz giving him some flamethrower tips, and Sam keeping up a running commentary on how she could beat them both blindfolded. Mary was just behind them, chatting with Adam and Edgar, while close behind _them_ Tobias and Nider were bickering relentlessly about something. Carrie and Hernan followed close behind, whispering together. Saylee and Blue walked behind them, and immediately behind the humans, Georgia was talking to Mario about good four-armed attack moves while Gary and Pete made up the rearguard. Saylee hadn’t wanted Georgia to come, but the four-armed Golem had been insistent, and didn’t seem to be in any pain or discomfort despite the amount of cracked stone around her arms.

Of all of them, only Sam had been close enough to hear Blue tell Saylee what he’d found— though Adam, being a psychic, probably also knew. None of Saylee’s own Pokémon knew. She was determined to tell them, of course, once Team Rocket was done for, but she couldn’t help worry how they’d take it…

“Oi! It’s you, isn’t it?” Chip suddenly shouted. “The Geisha!”

Between Chaz and Sam, Saylee caught sight of the familiar heavy makeup and traditional red dress. The woman did not look the least bit intimidated by having a large Typhlosion, Charizard and Blastoise looming over her.

“You are Saylee, aren’t you?” she said in some surprise. “Word was that you were sick in bed in Mahogany…”

“I was,” Saylee said, wondering suspiciously where that “word” came from.

“Still should be,” Blue muttered.

“But here we are now,” Chip said, “What’re you doin’ here?”

“I see,” the woman mused, looking from Saylee to Blue. “You might even be fitting to…” she trailed off and gave them a gracious bow. “I heard that the boy Ethan became entrapped down here. I am sure that you will be better able to rescue him than I. Good day to you, Saylee.”

“ _Ethan_ ’s down here?” Saylee said in horror. “What is that kid _doing_ here?”

“At a guess, I’d say gettin’ his ass in trouble,” Nider opined, suspiciously watching the Geisha totter off. “Can _we_ go get in some trouble?”

“You _are_ trouble, moy love,” Georgia said, cracking all of her knuckles.

“I’m rubbish at theory talk,” Mike said. “Enough of that. Want to see that Vital Throw?”

“Standard rules, guys, no killing and as few permanent injuries as you can manage,” Blue said. “Other than that… they’re Rockets. Have fun.”

“If you see a ten-year-old boy with a Marill, give us a shout!” Saylee called as the heavy maintenance door creaked open, and their Pokémon rushed in.

There was a surprisingly large number of Rockets underground. Many had fled underground to hide rather than participate in the fighting in the streets above. They attacked with their usual swarms of barely-trained Pokémon, facing Saylee and Blue five-on-one. Saylee and Blue preferred quality over quantity, and their Pokémon proved that faith easily.

Three Rockets and their Pokémon were toying with an Azumarill who looked to barely have enough energy to stand, let alone continue to fight the thugs off. Saylee went to help the worn-out water-type as soon as Gary, Pete and Sam had taken up the attackers’ attention.

“Lyra?” The Azumarill said weakly as Saylee sprayed potion into her wounds. “What’re you doing here?”

“ _Marina_?” Saylee said in surprise. “You evolved?”

“The noise… made me…” Marina muttered. “It’s okay… had to protect Ethan…”

“Lyra!” Ethan cried happily as he crawled out from the box he’d been hiding behind. “You’re here! Is Marina going to be alright?”

“She’ll be fine with rest,” Saylee promised him. “What’re you doing here, Ethan?”

“We were playing in the arcade when Marina started hurting,” Ethan explained, hugging his Azumarill. “When I tried to take her to Granny and Grandad’s, there were these men in black everywhere chasing people with Pokémon, so we ran down here and hid…”

“The streets are safer now,” Saylee promised, looking up. “Although not safe enough. Someone needs to take him back to his grandparents’…”

“Gary,” Blue called. “You’re the fastest and more than capable of turning anything in your way to cinders. Get this kid out of here safe, okay?”

“Sure thing,” his Arcanine said, bounding over and crouching down to allow Ethan to climb up onto his back. Blue handed Marina up to him. “Hold onto the long cream fur tight, just don’t pull any out, got it? And don’t _you_ dare spit on me.”

“I will if you’re going to be that rude,” Marina argued weakly.

“Thanks, Gary,” Saylee said, scratching his ear. “Ethan, stay with Gary, okay? He’ll see you home safe.”

“Thanks, Lyra!” Ethan called. “Go get ‘em!” Gary ran off, snarling viciously at anything that looked like trying to stop him.

“Saylee!” Carrie called. “Come here!”

“What is it?” Blue yelled as he and Saylee ran towards her shouting. “Find that maintenance entrance?”

“No,” Hernan called. “We found the president.”

{}

“There is a maintenance hatch down here, yes,” the old man said apologetically, “but it’s for the department store… our maintenance hatch is actually hidden in a wall on the third floor…”

“Dammit, that little Grimer tricked us,” Saylee growled.

“Imagine, a Rocket lying,” Blue said dryly.

“They have my son and his family,” the president pleaded. “I had to let them install that awful machine… it’s up on the observatory level…”

“Right, then,” Saylee sighed. “Dammit… I do _not_ want to climb any more stairs…”

“So we won’t,” Blue said, turning to his Pokémon. “Alright, let’s get back to the surface, and then everyone except Pete’s going away for a bit!”

“And everyone except Chaz,” Saylee added, catching on. They headed back to the surface and returned all of their Pokémon except for the two huge fliers.

“Goin’ up?” Pete said as Blue hauled himself onto the Pidgeot’s back. Chaz leaned down to make Saylee’s climb easier. She lay down against his neck, enjoying the comforting warmth and focusing on not falling asleep.

“Let’s go get this done,” she sighed. “Once and for all.”

{}

Silver had tried to talk to his mother, he really had. As usual, she hadn’t listened at _all_. She assumed that, like her, he was content to stand safe up in this tower and watch people fight and Pokémon suffer. She _liked_ the fighting, but Silver really didn’t care. She didn’t get that he just wanted to go _home_.

So he tried shouting at her. He shouted loudly, wanting to drown out the high whine of the machine. It was doing his head in. Why wasn’t it bothering them?

Archer had just scowled at him, and then his mother had slapped him and told him to stop howling like a baby. Then she’d ordered him to take out his Pokémon, telling him that they would make them strong. Silver had tried to tell her that they were strong already, that he was a _good_ trainer who could train strong Pokémon without cheating, but she wouldn’t listen or believe him, as usual. She told him off for acting like a baby and then she went and treated him like one! She _always_ did that!

So he did release a Pokémon. He released Tyra, who was big and strong enough that the signal didn’t bother her, and he told his mother that if she tried to take his Pokémon, Tyra would attack her.

Tyra seemed more than happy to. Tyra was the only one that Silver told _everything_ to. Silver got mad at his mother a _lot_ , but he couldn’t _hate_ her. She was still his mother. But Tyra could, and Tyra did, more than anything, even Saylee the liar.

“Ariana, can’t you keep that boy under control?” Archer snapped. Silver could see it in his mother’s face that she didn’t like being talked down to like that, not one bit. Then she turned and Silver knew that she was going to take it out on _him_. She had that _look_ , the one that meant that _he_ was about to pay for whatever was pissing her off now. Tyra snarled and stepped protectively in front of him. It made him feel safer. Tyra was _strong_.

“Giga Drain,” his mother ordered, releasing her Vileplume.

“Tyra!” Silver shouted, reaching for Tyra’s pokéball, but the Vileplume’s vines had already wrapped around Tyra and wrenched her away from him. Then his mother was there, emboldened by her Pokémon having the upper hand, and she slapped Tyra’s pokéball out of his hand.

“Suck the life out of it,” she ordered her Pokémon sharply. “My son needs to learn a lesson in obedience.”

“Stop it!” Silver shouted, trying to get to Tyra’s pokéball. His mother grabbed him by the shoulders, holding him back. “You’re killing her!”

“I know,” his mother said coldly, twisting his hurt arm when he kept struggling. He screamed in pain.

“Ariana!” Archer said sharply. He was turning on the spot, watching something out of the observatory windows that surrounded them. A huge brown bird was circling the tower. Archer and Ariana turned to follow it, selecting new pokéballs. When their backs were turned, Silver tried to duck under his mother’s arm to reach Tyra’s pokéball. He froze when he caught sight of something else flying up to the window. It was huge and orange and blasted fire directly at his mother’s Vileplume, shattering and melting the observatory windows in a plume of flame.

The Vileplume collapsed with a scream of pain, but the fire didn’t bother Tyra too much. She staggered backwards, gasping, then snapped her powerful jaws and lunged at Silver’s mother.

“Insolent creatures!” Ariana yelled, grabbing Silver’s arm again and pulling him close to her. Tyra froze, unwilling to jump Ariana with Silver in the way.

“Let me GO!” Silver yelled angrily, trying to shake her off. He was hesitant to release his other Pokémon so close to the transmitter; all of them had been in a lot of pain on the way to the Lake of Rage. _Too much pain to be of any use,_ he told himself.

“You heard him, Ariana. You let him go. _Now._ ”

Saylee’s Charizard had flown through the burned-out window, and Saylee herself was sitting on his back, now wearing a grey jacket over the Rocket uniform and a bloodstained bandage on her neck. Silver found himself feeling happy to see her and was pissed off at himself for it.

He wanted to hate Saylee. He was _supposed_ to. But… she’d never tried to kill his Pokémon, even though she was the enemy. She’d _saved_ Tyra. She was doing things all backwards! _Saylee_ was the bad guy, _she_ was the one who was supposed to be trying to hurt him and his Pokémon, not…

“Is that woman seriously using the kid as a human shield?” the brown bird said. He had returned through the burnt hole, and a man in a black t-shirt and brown trousers had gotten off. He was glaring over Silver’s head at his mother.

“That’s Ariana,” Saylee said. “She’s his mother.” Saylee said Ariana’s name as if it was a filthy word. The man’s glare intensified.

“Oh, _man_ , what a bitch,” he complained. “And the blue-haired wank is Archer, right? The tosser who was torturing Lapras? Heard about that from Chaz. Dick move, pal, dick move.”

“That’s his MO,” Saylee sighed. “Ariana, let Silver go. Let’s duke it out, here and now, two on two. It’s kind of like fighting fair. You may have heard of it.”

“Don’t you _dare_ tell me what to do,” Ariana spat. “Don’t you dare pretend that you care about my son! He’s nothing to do with you!”

“Is that right?” Saylee said coldly.

“She’s not wrong, though,” Chaz said. “I doubt you care about him like she does. You’re much nicer than that.”

“Enough _talk_!” Archer snapped, releasing his Weezing. Ariana followed suit with her Arbok.

“ _There_ we go,” the man with Saylee said, releasing an Alakazam. “Finally, we get to the ass kicking!”

“About time, too,” Saylee murmured, releasing her Togetic, Tobias. She was slumping on her Charizard’s neck. She was painfully pale and clearly still sick and weak, but she’d come up and saved Tyra.

Silver was grateful that she had and wasn’t mad at himself for that.

{}

Ariana’s Arbok and Archer’s Weezing were almost immediately incapacitated by Tobias and Adam’s psychic attacks. Assured that they had the upper hand, Saylee turned her gaze to Tyra. The huge Feraligatr was growling low, her eyes fixed on Ariana’s neck, but she didn’t dare attack with Silver still struggling in his mother’s arms. That was a mixed blessing. Saylee didn’t like the bright red mark that was bruising on Silver’s cheek, but neither did she want to see Ariana _dead_ , especially not in front of Silver. She was still his mother, after all.

Your parents were your parents, whoever else they were.

The Arbok and Weezing collapsed into a wailing heap without landing a single hit on Adam or Tobias. Ariana replaced her Arbok with a Murkrow; Archer released a smaller version of the black, skeletal creature that had attacked Saylee at the warehouse. Saylee had read up on it since and knew what it was.

“It’s a Houndour,” Saylee warned Blue, releasing Mary. “It’s Dark and Fire. Mary, Thunderpunch that Murkrow!”

“Sam!” Blue called, releasing his mighty Blastoise. He pointed to the Houndour, which was running towards them with its fangs bared. “Douse it.”

The Murkrow dodged Mary’s first punch but then took a powerful hit from her tail. The Houndour tried to attack Mary while she was distracted, but instead it got a blast of water in its side.

“Imbeciles!” Archer spat, releasing his Houndoom, the ferocious Pokémon that he’d left to guard the warehouse. It snarled viciously at the sight of Saylee and Chaz.

“Mary, keep away from it!” Saylee ordered. “If you’re burned by a Houndoom—”

“—the pain never ends,” the Houndoom growled, black fire dripping from his fangs.

“Archer!” Ariana called. Mary had moved to circle her, and Tobias and Adam were approaching her form the other side. Silver was still struggling to get out of her arms. “I don’t have any more Pokémon!”

“What a nuisance…” Archer grumbled, pointing at Mary. “Get rid of them all, Helmut.”

“Archer!” Ariana cried, horrified. When Helmut rounded on them, opening his mouth to blast fire, she ducked down, crouching over Silver. Sam’s cannons clicked to face Helmut, but Archer stepped into her path.

“You sentimental pansies,” he laughed when Sam hesitated. “That’s quite a powerful Blastoise. Does it have the control to fire a water blast that wouldn’t pulverize me on impact?”

“It’s not Sam you should be worried about…” Saylee muttered, returning Chaz the second she realized what was looming towards them through the window behind Archer. She only fell four feet, but the impact jolted all of her injuries.

“Saylee!” Blue yelled, running to her. Helmut had swung his head to aim the fireball he’d built up at Saylee and Blue.

“Giving up, are you?” Archer cackled. “That won’t be enough to save you! Helmut—”

“That just might,” Blue said, pointing out of the remaining window.

A furious red face smashed through the glass, glaring directly at the radio transmitter in the middle of the room. Archer and Helmut were both in the way.

Blue managed to haul himself and Saylee onto Sam’s back just before the hydro pump of an enraged Gyarados swept the room.

Saylee noted with relief that Adam had erected a psychic shield that was effectively protecting him, Tobias, Mary, Ariana and Silver. It was the last thing she remembered before she finally blacked out.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 20 
> 
> Deaths: 2

Silver made himself watch as they took his mother away in handcuffs with the rest of Team Rocket. He told himself that he didn’t care, that she’d tried to kill Tyra and was getting what she deserved.

“Where are we going now?” Mag asked nervously as Silver backed down an alleyway across the road from the police station. He turned and stalked past the entrances to the apartment blocks. He headed for the fence at the end with the bicycles locked to it, trying to figure out how to climb over it with his busted arm. He had no idea where he was going to go, only that he didn’t want to be _here_ anymore. _I just want to go_ home, _but how the hell do I do that now? Where the hell_ do _I go…?_

Somebody grabbed him by the back of his jumper just as he reached his right arm up to grab the fence.

“Are you part Abra, kid? Because I’ve heard that you’re pretty good at a disappearing act.”

It was him, the man with the spiky brown hair who’d come up the tower with Saylee. Silver had last seen him carrying her to the hospital. “What’re you doing here?” Silver demanded. Mag sparked threateningly, ready to defend his trainer. “Let me GO!”

“Fine,” the man said, letting him go. “Saylee’s in hospital. Blacked out from exhaustion. Moron never did know her own limits. She’ll be fine so long as they can get her to stay in one place for a couple of weeks, although that might take an act of Mew.”

“What makes you think I care?” Silver spat.

“Well, you didn’t run off when I let you go,” the guy said, walking off. “Come on, brat. I got a pal named Bill who has family here. That sucker’s got family everywhere… anyway, they’ll put us up for a couple of nights.”

“What makes you think I want to go with you?!” Silver shouted.

“Where else are you going to go?” the man asked sharply. “If this was Kanto you’d be out in the wilds on your own. Here in Johto, I hear they’ll take you away to a children’s home with a bunch of other orphan kids, which you effectively are with your mum in jail and your dad AWOL. Not a bad deal, really. Free food and a bed until you’re sixteen. I mean, even if your dad does surface, he’s gonna get arrested, although I don’t think he’s gonna reappear. That signal was going for nearly twenty-four hours. Sorry, kid, but if he was gonna be here, he’d be here by now.”

“I don’t care,” Silver said sullenly. “I don’t need him.”

“No, you know what you need? A bath.” The man wrinkled his nose. “Have you _smelled_ yourself, kid? You need to talk to Saylee, too, but that can wait. Until then, hi, my name’s Blue and you’re not leaving my sight.”

“Says who?” Silver demanded.

“Says the fact that you’d rather have a family than live in an orphanage,” Blue said, watching Silver closely.

“How does he know that?” Mag whispered to Silver.

“Shut up, Mag,” Silver hissed, glaring at Blue.

Blue rolled his eyes. “Look… have you seen this before?” he said, pulling a photograph out of his pocket.

“Yes,” Silver said sullenly, glancing only briefly at the photograph. “It’s Dad a long time ago, and his family from before. At least, that’s what _he_ said.”

“Right,” Blue said, nodding grimly as he looked at the photo himself. “If you want a home and family, you know they’re your best shot?”

“Whatever.” Silver felt a little surge of hope at the word _home_ and tried to stamp it down. Even if that woman was still alive, what would she want with a filthy little thief of a stepson?

He scowled as his stomach rumbled. Mag floated closer to him, looking concerned. _Shut up, stomach! I don’t care if I haven’t eaten in two days! I’m not gonna look_ weak _in front of this smug bastard_!

“Yeah, I know _that_ feeling,” Blue said, nodding at Silver. “If you’re going to make another run for it, at least box clever and wait until after the free food.”

“…Fine.” Free food _was_ too tempting to pass up, and he could always make a run for it when they fell asleep. He could easily stay awake longer than a bunch of wimps.

{}

“Much quieter when he’s asleep, isn’t he?” Bill commented, glancing at Silver over his computer screen. He’d taken all of the kid’s rude comments about “having a melted face” and being a cripple with good grace, all things considered.

“Sorry about his rotten mouth,” Blue said, pulling his coat on. “And for eating all of your food.” The kid had eaten like he’d never seen food before, but they hadn’t been able to make him take a bath.

“Don’t worry about it,” Bill said, rapidly typing one-handedly. “I guess the kid’s been through a lot. What Kanto kid hasn’t? Why do you care about this one, out of interest?”

“I don’t,” Blue said shortly, “but Saylee does. Adam’s around here somewhere in case the kid wakes up and tries to bolt again, although I don’t know that he will. I’d better go find Gary.”

“See you,” Bill called as Blue left.

The streets of Goldenrod were as wet as if there had been a heavy rainfall. Gabriel, the mutated Gyarados that Saylee had captured at the Lake of Rage, had gone feral when Vera had released him and he’d heard the radio signal. He’d crushed the game corner on the way to the radio tower, and Blue counted himself lucky that he hadn’t smashed the damn tower down too. Vera had returned him before he could. She’d brought a lot of the Pokémon that Saylee had picked up and sent to her instead of putting on her team. Quite a number of them, including a large Koffing, had gone utterly batshit at the sight of Team Rocket. Apparently, Vera had been telling them stories about what happened to Pokémon that belonged to Team Rocket.

One of them was a Staryu that had been killed in the street fighting, its core gem utterly smashed. Blue didn’t want to have to tell Saylee about that, but he figured that he should, sooner or later. He’d rather be the one to tell her himself, anyway.

He spotted Vera, sitting on a bench and looking very intimidated at the people arguing around her. A pink-haired girl was shouting tearfully at a man with blue hair. Her shouting was mingling with the arguing of a beefy middle-aged man and a tall old man with while hair. A slim girl with long brown hair was blushing and stuttering and couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

“Why on earth were you sitting at the back of your club and crying?” the blue-haired man was asking. He sounded terribly exasperated.

“I was scared,” the pink-haired girl whimpered in a high, childish voice.

“ _Scared_? I saw your Miltank bowl down six Rockets when you finally did come out! When the fighting was all but _over_ , I might add!”

“It wasn’t!” she insisted. “Besides, _Bugsy_ ran away!”

“Once everyone was arrested,” the brunette cut in softly. “Umm… he said he, um, didn’t want to hang around for the cleanup, if that’s, um, alright…”

“What’re you so shy for, girl?” the beefy man laughed, slapping her on the back. Blue would have expected the girl to be knocked over, but she only stumbled a little. “Saw you and your mighty Steelix taking men down left and right!”

“That thing was _yours_?” Blue blurted out. He’d seen it, a tremendous Onix made of metal, but he’d never have expected its owner to be this shy little woman.

“Yes, he is…” the brunette said, turning bright red in embarrassment. “Um, weren’t you…? I mean, I saw you taking Lyra to the hospital…”

It took Blue a moment to realize that she meant Saylee. Of course, she’d taken on a fake name, hadn’t she, to avoid Team Rocket’s notice… _fat lot of good that did, in the end._ “I’m Blue. She’s an old friend of mine from Kanto.”

“Jasmine,” the girl said shyly. “My, um, my father owns a forge and shipworks in Olivine. I’m the, uh, the best trainer there.” She blushed more vividly. “This is Falkner, he’s, um, the master of a flight dojo in Violet, and, um, this is Whitney, she, um, runs a Pokémon club here in Goldenrod, and Chuck, he’s a very, um, famous warrior in Cianwood, and, um, Master Pryce of Mahogany…”

“If we could find where Morty ran off to, and if Bugsy hadn’t already left,” Falkner said, “you’d be talking to seven of the strongest trainers in Johto.”

“That’s nice.” They reminded Blue somewhat of the six major gang and clan leaders in Kanto. All very powerful in their own specialized way, but they all had their own weaknesses. Erika wilted on a hot day, Misty couldn’t handle electricity at all, and Brock passed out if you spat at him. It was impossible to have _no_ weaknesses, but Blue believed in variability rather than focusing on one type, so he felt that he covered his bases better than most. That was why he was _the_ best trainer in Kanto.

At least, as long as Saylee was in Johto…

“I have heard that this young lady is an excellent trainer,” Pryce said. He looked even older than Blue’s grandfather, but he stood straight and tall and gave the impression that he could kick your ass even without his Pokémon’s assistance, thank you very much. “I should like to challenge her someday to see her strength for myself. She is responsible for the safety of my wife, eldest son and his family.” He turned back to Chuck. “As I was saying: a manhunt is pointless. Giovanni will not be in Johto now. If he was and heard that radio broadcast, he will have fled. There are plenty of places to where he might have gone: Sinnoh to the north, Hoenn to the south across the sea, the deserts of Orre to the distant west…”

“I think a police search will be necessary on general principle,” Falkner said. “Sorry, Pryce. I know your personal insight should make you a better judge of Giovanni’s movements, but if you don’t mind my saying so, your personal connection makes your input… not entirely trustworthy…”

“I dunno, he sounds pretty on the nose about Giovanni and his tendency to always have an escape plan,” Blue said. “Do you know him?”

“Once, _before_ , I think I must have known him rather well,” Pryce said dryly. “I have met him often since… you see, he is my younger son.”

Blue did a double-take. “Seriously?” he said in surprise. Life just _had_ to get more complicated…

Pryce nodded. “Well, our old photographs and my wife’s diaries do suggest that. He does have my wife’s eyes. I have to wonder when it was that he dug into the old hideout underneath the shop, but it appears to have been functioning as a criminal hideout for a couple of decades…”

“So, can I just confirm… it’s definitely a young Giovanni in this photo?” Blue said, holding up the photograph in question. Pryce nodded.

“Yes, it is,” he said, peering curiously at the picture. “Hmm. Where did you obtain this?”

“From his place in Kanto,” Blue said. “We think it’s him and his wife and son from before.”

“We have an old letter from him before, saying that he was sending his wife and young son to us in Johto because the fighting in Kanto was growing so dangerous,” Pryce said thoughtfully. “But do you know, this is the first photo that I have seen of them. They never arrived. Of course, then travel into Kanto was banned because of the amount of poison in the air and water… it was said to be too dangerous. In fact, the reports were that no living thing bar a few poison-types still remained in Kanto. I’m rather surprised to see a citizen of Kanto _alive_ , let alone in such healthy shape, truth be told.” He nodded to Blue.

“Yeah,” Whitey sniffled. “I heard everyone was dead, or, y’know, deformed. _Mutated_. You look _normal._ ”

“I think your standards of normal and mine probably differ,” Blue said, pocketing the photo. “What are you doing now, Vera?”

“I need to apologize to Lyra for bringing her Pokémon in,” Vera said sorrowfully. “It got Selene killed. I didn’t mean for that to happen, but they wanted to help her… and so did I.” She sighed. “I was hoping to atone a little more… but now I just have all the more to atone for.”

“You bet your ass you do,” Blue said. “Give her a couple of days, though. Have any of you seen an Arcanine around here?”

{}

Somebody had affixed Saylee’s dreamcatcher to the ceiling. When she woke up, performed the automatic grope for her glasses and put them on, Pedro’s feather was the first thing she saw.

Mary and Tobias were lying at the foot of her bed, sound asleep. In fact, all of her Pokémon were present and snoozing. Carrie and Hernan were sitting against the foot of her bed, asleep with Carrie’s head against Hernan’s chest. Nider was sitting against one wall, curled up with his tail wrapped around himself. Chip was stretched out next to her bed, blowing smoke rings in his sleep. The window was open, but there wasn’t a draft because Chaz was sleeping with his head on the sill, gently breathing hot air into the room. He really had gotten too big to be inside, like he had last year, when Saylee had been in a hospital bed on Knot Island.

Saylee was glad that they were still asleep. When they woke up, she’d have to tell them about the photograph that Blue had found, and she still didn’t quite comprehend it herself.

She was both relieved and upset that Giovanni had never appeared at the Radio Tower. She had no idea what she’d say to him, if anything. She’d definitely want to punch him. Applying the heel of her hand to his nose with all of the force she could muster might help her feel better.

She held her arm up, punching into the air, and then uncurled her fingers and reached towards the dreamcatcher. Her arm felt as heavy as lead but was as pale as a Meowth’s fur, aside from the sore black bruises on her wrist where Proton had grabbed her. She slowly noticed other, lighter bruises patching her arm. The dreamcatcher was hung just low enough for her fingers to brush the charred feather. She let her arm drop again. It was too tiring to hold it up. She felt exhausted, emotionally and physically. When was the last time she’d rested, really _rested_ , not just blacked out? Was it just after she’d talked to Eusine? It felt like a million years ago, but it couldn’t have been more than a week…

She lay back on her pillows. The cut on her throat hurt whenever she moved her head. Maybe she just needed to sleep a while longer…

It felt like she’d only blinked, but when she opened her eyes again, daylight was streaming in the window, and her Pokémon were awake and chatting to one another. Outside of the window she could see Hernan working with Mary on her thunderpunch, with Chaz and Sam commentating and Nider and Gary heckling. Carrie and Tobias were sitting on the windowsill and cheering them on. Georgia and Chip were in the room, talking about how scary Gabriel was. Chip was the first to notice that Saylee was awake.

“Lee!” he said, crouching next to her bed. “You’re awake!”

“You look big enough to carry me now,” Saylee mumbled, still getting used to his huge Typhlosion form. There had been so much going on in the past few days… “It was the other way around, back when we left New Bark…”

“That was bein’ but a couple o’ months ago,” Chip said. “It’s been fair busy since then, eh?”

“’Ow you feelin’, moy love?” Georgia said, ambling over. Her evolved form was a little jarring too, for different reasons. She wasn’t yet much larger than a Graveller, and she was the same general shape, but the way that her Golem shell had cracked and malformed around her extraneous arms…

“Just a bit tired…” Saylee said. “What about you, Georgia? Does it hurt?”

“Tch, t’ain’t nothin’,” Georgia said, waving all four arms. “Oi know it looks bad, but oi swear, it feels just foine. Don’t moind it, really, oi loike ‘avin’ four arms. Much ‘andier!”

Saylee couldn’t help laughing at the terrible pun. She wondered vaguely if she’d been given some pain medication; her throat didn’t hurt at all, and she was feeling a little fuzzy and loopy.

“Guys!” Chip called out of the window. “Lee’s up!”

Tobias and Carrie reached her first, followed by Hernan and Mary vaulting through the window. Tobias returned Nider into his pokéball and then rereleased him into the room. Chaz stuck his head through the window, his neck long enough for him to reach Saylee’s bedside. Saylee waved off all questions about how she was feeling and asked Mary how her thunderpunch was coming along. “Hernan can teach anyone to throw a great punch,” she said, rubbing her knuckles.

“I thought you’d be up by now.”

“Of course you did, Morty,” Saylee said, looking up at the blond man who was peering around the door. “Come on in. How are you?”

“Very well, thank you,” Morty said, sitting in the visitor chair. “I am glad to see that you and your Pokémon made it out alright. Your friend Vera will be pleased to hear it, Saylee.”

 _My_ friend _Vera…_ “You knew I was lying?” Saylee said warily.

“My powers tend towards premonition, and I’m not a talented mind reader,” Morty said with a shrug, “but I can tell the difference between truth and falsehood. However… I could tell that, whatever your reasons for lying were, they were just as important to you as my quest to be worthy of Ho-oh is to me, or Eusine’s desire to meet Suicune is to him. You weren’t wrong to do it,” he added. “The Rockets have had spies in Johto for years. I rooted out several that hid during the attack by pretending to be frightened citizens. There were even more hiding in Ecruteak, including one among the monks in the temple itself!” He looked utterly revolted. “Once I set my sights on finding Rocket spies, it was almost frightening to realize how many there are… actually, I’m leaving just now to go find the spies in other cities. I know they’re there, laying low. I just wanted to visit first.”

“Thanks,” Saylee said gratefully. “It’s good to see you. Oh, Carrie, Hernan, Chaz, have you met Morty?”

“He’s a ghost master!” Tobias said to his mother.

Carrie frowned. “You don’t manipulate dead souls to fight for you, do you?” she demanded.

Morty shook his head. “Not against Team Rocket,” he promised. “Their souls are too dark, corrupted… it wasn’t necessary for me to bring Pokémon, in any case. The order I was raised with uses martial arts as a form of meditation, but they also work very well for the purpose of dislocating shoulders.”

“You fought _us_ wi’ ghosts, though,” Mary pointed out.

Morty nodded. “I see to the desires of restless spirits who cannot pass until they are granted,” Morty said. “Some continue to long for battle, as an outlet for the powerful negative emotions that hold them back. Do you remember Gavril? He went to rest as a result of our battle. I thank you for that.”

“Spirits who _want_ to fight are rarer in Kanto,” Carrie commented. “I suppose they have all long since had their fill of fighting…”

“You said you’re good at finding things?” Chaz asked. Morty nodded.

“About what you said before,” Saylee asked, “about Red…”

“The future is never precisely fixed,” Morty warned her. “Contrary to popular belief, some of my visions do turn out wrong. But I still see you and Red in the snow. And…” he glanced out of the door. “The young man who is on his way here as we speak.”

“Blue,” Saylee said. It relieved her somewhat to know that he was coming over. She would have to tell her Pokémon, and tell them soon, probably as soon as Morty had left. Blue already knew, and _he_ didn’t hate her for it. For plenty of other things, maybe, but not for that. “What about what you said about Silver?”

“He’s on his way too,” Morty said, bowing to her and her Pokémon. “I’d better go. Eusine gets so impatient… I hope you get well soon.”

“Thanks for visiting,” Saylee said as he left.

“Lee?” Chip asked. “What was he sayin’ about Silver? I forget…”

“There’s something I need to tell you guys,” Saylee said, a little shakily. Nothing had ever scared her quite like this. It seemed like it wouldn’t quite be real until she said the words. “Something I only found out when… well, Blue found it out, I just… confirmed it. I’ll tell you when he gets here, I think he’s got the photograph…”

“Well, he’s comin’ anyway,” Nider said. “Why’s he bringin’ that stupid kid?”

“Because it’s about Giovanni,” Saylee said, “so I have to tell him too.”

Blue arrived a couple of minutes later, dragging Silver by the arm. His Magneton was, as ever, floating at his shoulder. The kid looked sullen and like he didn’t want to be there, which was more or less his default expression. “Wow, you’re still in hospital?” Blue said, sitting Silver down on the chair that Morty had recently vacated and leaning against the wall behind it. Silver immediately began glaring at everyone in the room. “Would’ve expected you to be halfway to Hoenn by now.”

“Ha bloody ha.” Saylee looked at Silver and tried to muster up a smile. “Hi, Silver. I’m surprised to see _you_ here…”

“Not like I _wanted_ to come,” Silver muttered. “This stupid bastard with the stupid hair _made_ me.”

“Leave my hair out of this, ginge,” Blue said. “Anyway, I got him to hang around the same way I caught Pete and Rick: food. Works like a charm. I figured you needed to talk to him.” He glanced at her Pokémon, who were watching the humans’ conversation curiously. “Did you tell them yet?”

Saylee shook her head. “I only want to try to explain it once,” she said. A pain was rising in her throat that wasn’t coming from the cut on her neck. “Do you still have the photo?”

“Yeah.” Blue was unusually grave as he took the photo out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Saylee. She unfolded it, staring intently at the faces, but they hadn’t changed. She hadn’t imagined anything. She could feel Silver’s bright red eyes boring into her.

“You said that you’d seen this photo before, right?” Saylee said, showing it to Silver.

“Yeah, Dad said it was his family from before that he never found,” Silver said with a scowl. “Bet he didn’t even _look_.”

“I ran into… someone else who knew Giovanni before,” Blue said. “The guy in the photo’s definitely him.”

“Yeah,” Saylee said, holding the photo up for her Pokémon to see. “And I know who the woman is, as well.”

“That’s your mother!” Chaz blurted out. “That’s…” he looked at Carrie, Hernan and Tobias. “That’s Johanna, isn’t it?”

“It… it is…” Carrie said, staring up at Saylee. “Saylee…”

“Why would Lee’s mum be in a picture with the Rocket boss?” Nider asked, confused. For the rest of the Pokémon, though, the penny had dropped, and their shocked expressions were too much for Saylee. She had to look away from them and instead looked at Silver. The red hair clearly came from his mother, but his eyes weren’t quite the right shade. Why hadn’t Saylee realized it before, why those bright red eyes seemed familiar?

“Don’t you get it?” Saylee said bitterly. “Giovanni’s wife and son from before are my mother and my brother Red! Do you get what that means?”

“Lee…” Tobias said.

Saylee started to cry, tears rolling down her cheeks as the lump in her throat intensified. “It means that Silver’s my little brother,” she said thickly, “my little half-brother. And our father is Giovanni!”

Her throat hurt so much that she could barely breathe. She couldn’t look at them anymore, not her Pokémon’s horror, nor the shocked expression on Silver’s face. She pulled her glasses off and pressed a hand over her eyes to stem the tears, but she couldn’t, she just couldn’t. Sitting in the Radio Tower with Blue, wearing a borrowed Rocket uniform and staring at the photo, had all felt surreal. She’d just been too fogged with exhaustion and battle adrenaline to really take it in. She was still tired and her brain was still in something of a fog, but finally saying it, telling her Pokémon, made it finally feel real.

“You?! You’re my _sister_?! A worthless, snivelling, _weak—_ ” Silver stammered through a few more insults, before just giving a wordless cry of frustration. Saylee heard the chair hit the floor and the door slam.

“Adam, keep an eye on him, can you?” Blue muttered. There was the gentle noise of the chair being righted and a large, warm hand on her shoulder. “Saylee… I thought about burning that photo, y’know. Forgetting it ever existed…”

For that moment, from the bottom of her heard, Saylee wished fiercely that he had. She felt like she had in the hidden war room, her world turned upside-down by something that she could never un-know. Let her father have been a mystery forever…

A glow shone through her tightly closed eyes, and something warm settled on her lap. She took her hand away from her eyes, and though the world was more blurred than ever through her tears, she could make out Tobias sitting on her lap.

“The stories said Togetic can bring happiness to good people,” he said, fluttering up to hug her, “so I thought I’d try it.” The lump in her throat began to melt under something warm.

“You’re not your dad, Saylee,” Chaz said gently, nudging her arm. “Any more than you’re the humans who worked in the bunkers under the mountain.”

“I’m thinkin’ you _couldn’t_ be like ‘im,” Chip added. “Not ever.”

“Whit a bastart,” Mary opined. “Abandonin’ his flock like that! He’s getting’ a right zappin’ if I ever see ‘im!”

“You don’t even look like this guy,” Nider said, peering at the photo. “Or anything like that stupid kid…”

“Leave off Silver,” Georgia said, giving him a two-handed thump. “It’s got t’be froightnin’ for him too, what with all that’s been goin’ on…”

“He’s been convinced that Saylee is his enemy, after all,” Hernan pointed out. “And he’s spent his whole life knowing what his parents are…”

“And loving them anyway because they’re his parents,” Carrie sighed sadly. She patted Saylee’s arm. “At least you don’t have any of that conflict to deal with, right?”

Saylee shook her head. “I don’t know… when I was a kid, I always imagined that if I had a dad, he’d be Red all grown up, the kind of guy who’d look after everyone and have lots of powerful Pokémon that he cared for a lot. It wasn’t something that I thought about that much, though… I think it was a question that meant more to Mum than me, really.” She sucked in a breath sharply. “Mum…”

“I told her first,” Blue said quickly. “Thought she had a right to know. She didn’t say a thing about it for days, then she threw her ring into a river and never told anyone else why. If it upset her, she didn’t let anyone see…”

“She never does,” Saylee said guiltily. _Next time I go home, she’s getting the biggest hug in the entire world._

“Anyway, day after she chucked the ring she was selling lunch to miners up at Pewter, same as ever,” Blue continued, “and there was this guy there from Sinnoh about her age flirting with her. She started flirting right back and now she’s got a boyfriend.”

“So I heard,” Saylee sniffed, finally managing to bring up a little smile. “I’m glad… I guess she needed that kind of closure. I’m glad you didn’t burn it, Blue,” she added a little awkwardly, tipping her head to the side to hug his hand against her shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Are you alroight, moy love?” Georgia asked.

“No,” Saylee said, “but I’m sure, in time…” she let Blue’s hand go and hugged Tobias. “I do feel a little better, Toby. Thank you.” She looked around her Pokémon, her nearest and dearest friends. “Thank you…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus I make canon to my fic a crack theory that has been bouncing around since the nineties: Giovanni is Red’s father. I think it was the first crack theory I ever picked up, because thanks to Toy Story 2 referencing Star Wars, every kid my age was convinced that the bad guy had to be the main character’s father. I remember everyone expecting Giovanni and Red to appear at the Radio Tower for a faceoff, and the mass disappointment when they didn’t… if double battles had existed back then, we would have fully expected to double battle with Red against Giovanni and Proton XD


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“Silver, what’s wrong?” Tyra asked. Silver had let them all out—her, Gareth, Mag, Siren and Zeb—and had been making them train in the park for a while in a focused, angry way, but now he was sitting on the ground with his head buried in his knees. He wouldn’t say a word to any of them about what was wrong, why the rage that always boiled in him had finally bubbled over. “Silver, what happened? Is it Team Rocket? Your _mother_?” Tyra spat out the word like a filthy insult. It had been clear to Tyra as long as she’d known Silver that his mother treated him like a tool just as she did her Pokémon, albeit a more useful tool than them because he was a hook for the boss and a key to status and prestige for her… something that only worked with Giovanni around. Silver hadn’t been able to see it that way because she was his _mother_ , but Tyra was smart enough to read between the lines whenever he talked about her. Ariana had neglected and abused her son, and Tyra would never forget that the bitch had tried to _kill_ Tyra just to _discipline_ Silver. Tyra knew that Ariana was the reason that Silver would never show that he cared about his Pokémon. He _did_ care, all of them knew it. It showed through in little ways that he didn’t know how to hide. But he was too scared of showing it, of being _weak_ , of caring about something in case it left him.

He still cared about his parents. That wasn’t weakness, in Tyra’s opinion. Children of any species cared for their parents, and humans were children longer than most. No matter how strong he tried to be, Silver was just a child and they were his parents, and Tyra could never forgive them for abusing that. She would gladly have ripped Ariana’s throat out in the Radio Tower and never felt a moment’s guilt over it, if that wouldn’t have upset Silver.

He was upset now, and Tyra couldn’t stand it. She hated it when people were sad.

“What’re you _crying_ for?” Gareth demanded.

“’M _not_ ,” Silver said stubbornly. His voice was awfully thick for someone who wasn’t crying.

“Nothing wrong with it, honey,” Siren said, idly sharpening her claws. “I just wanna know, if, hypothetically, you _were_ crying, who, hypothetically, would be responsible for it. Because they probably deserve to get cut.”

“Don’t,” Silver muttered. “It’s not… it _can’t_ be true, it just _can’t_ , it’s another _lie…”_

“Tyra?”

Tyra glanced up and briefly bared her fangs at Chip to warn him to come no closer. “Well, look at you, big guy, all grown up. What’re you doing here?”

“I was just wantin’ t’be knowin’ if you were doin’ alright,” Chip said awkwardly. “Her was nearly killin’ you…”

“I’m fine,” Tyra huffed. “Takes more than a flimsy little flower to kill me. Thanks for asking, now go away.”

“I was wantin’ t’be knowin’ if himself’s bein’ alright, too,” Chip said, nodding at Silver. “Lee’s been cryin’ a bit too. But we’re still bein’ her friends, and we were tellin’ her so, so I’m thinkin’ that’ll be helpin’ in the end. But her been worryin’ about Silver too.”

“I’m FINE!” Silver shouted, jumping to his feet. “Absolutely FINE! I don’t CARE! Why should I?! I DON’T NEED HER!”

“I’m sure you’re not,” Chip said calmly. Tyra was secretly a little impressed. As a child, he’d been so timid that he’d run away from a Magikarp. He used to be frightened of Silver, she was sure. Perhaps the fact that he was four feet taller than the kid now helped. “You could be livin’ out the rest o’ your life without ever seein’ or hearin’ from Saylee or anybody ever, and neither of you’d be droppin’ dead for lack. I’m askin’ what you’re _wantin’_ , Silver.”

“None of your business!” Silver shouted. “Tyra, if he doesn’t go away, Surf him!”

“I’m warning you, Chip, I could really hurt you here,” Tyra said, making the water in the nearby fountain surge warningly. “Go away, okay?”

“Lee’s your sister, Silver,” Chip said sharply. “I don’t know if that be meanin’ anythin’ to you, but it’s meanin’ somethin’ to _her_.”

“She’s _what_?” Zeb said, gaping even more than usual. “That girl with the stupid hat? Is he serious?”

“It’s LIES!” Silver shouted, stamping his foot. “She’s a LIAR! She’s… she’s BAD! She’s the ENEMY! Tyra, get RID of him!”

Tyra hesitated to surf Chip. Instead, she spat a little water at him. He winced when it sizzled on his skin but didn’t back down. Tyra would die a painful electrical death before admitting it, but she was really very impressed now.

“Your folks were tellin’ you of that, I’m sure,” Chip said stolidly. “She’s not been wishin’ you any harm, though. She was carin’ about you even afore knowin’ of bein’ your sister. And she’s been havin’ a hard time dealin’ with the knowin’ of bein’ the daughter of a twat the likes of Giovanni. I’m thinkin’ all might go easier for her t’see somethin’ good be comin’ out of this. You too, maybe.”

“Tyra, MAKE HIM GO A _WAY_!” Silver shouted furiously. He had pulled his injured arm out of his sling and clamped his hands over his ears, clenching his eyes shut.

“Chip, get out of here _now_ ,” Tyra growled. Then she frowned. “Is it… true?”

Chip nodded. “’Tis.”

“I’ll talk to him,” Tyra promised quietly, “so GO!” She fired a blast of water at him that deliberately missed by inches. Chip took the hint and hurried off.

“C’mon, Silver, calm down,” Mag said. “It can’t be that bad, can it?”

“I don’t WANT her to be my sister!” Silver shouted. “I HATE her! She’s the reason Dad left, she’s the reason we had to leave that nice island and come _here_ , she’s the _bad guy…_ I don’t want anything to _do_ with her… I want… I want…”

“Silver,” Tyra said, licking his cheek, an affectionate gesture that he rarely allowed, “if there’s one thing you _do_ want, that you’ve wanted as long as I’ve known you, it’s to go home with your family. Right now, if it’s true, that makes your family options your mother or Saylee. From what I’ve seen, only one of them has ever given a single shit about your happiness or welfare.”

“She did that way before knowing she’s…” Silver bit his lip, refusing to say it. “I don’t get _why._ It’s _stupid_.”

“My old trainer used to call me stupid for wanting to be a fighter,” Siren said, looking where Chip had left. “Stupid, in my opinion, is a word people use when they don’t understand something and don’t want to. I’d say it’s a word that people like your parents apply to kindness.”

“Are you guys on my side or not?” Silver demanded angrily.

“Silver, I’m on the side where you end up loved and whatever passes for happy with you,” Tyra sighed.

“You could try it,” Zeb suggested. “Just for a while, y’know? And if you hate it and still hate her, well, you’re good at sneaking away.”

{}

“He’s coming back,” Adam reported. Blue nodded. He wasn’t exactly surprised, but he was relieved nevertheless.

Saylee had fallen asleep again. She had a lot of blood to replenish and a lot of healing to do, not all of it physical.

“Thanks for saving her,” Chaz commented quietly. “From Proton…”

“Shouldn’t have been in there herself,” Chip mumbled. “One’ve us should’ve been there with her… or her should’ve waited…”

“Yeah, but if she’d been able to wait and let it lie,” Blue sighed, “she wouldn’t be _her_.”

The door creaked open, and a skinny black Pokémon the size of a child peered into the room. Silver reluctantly followed it in, peering around the room with a look that suggested that he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing there. His Magneton was, as ever, hovering over his shoulder.

“She fell asleep again,” Blue said quietly, “so do me a favour and don’t start shouting again, okay, kid?” he stood up and offered the kid his chair. Silver looked about to refuse it on principle, but his Magneton gave him a gentle push and he relented. He glared at Blue, refusing to look at Saylee at all.

“Look, kid, can you stop glaring at me like that?” Blue asked. Silver’s glare just intensified. “Fine, then. Can I clear something up? I’m not doing this for you. Boohoo, kid with no parents, I’ve never seen that before. Plenty of kids in Kanto make it alright, with or without Pokémon, and you’ve got a cushy-looking children’s home thing going on here in Johto. When my parents were killed, I didn’t have that. The only family I’ve had since then are my sister and a guy who’s _probably_ my grandfather.” He looked sharply at Silver. “That makes them even more important to me. I mean, that’s just me,” he added, holding his hands up innocently. “I don’t know if it means a damn thing to you, but it means something to Saylee. That’s who I’m doing this for, okay?”

“Is she your girlfriend?” Silver asked, making a face. Blue coughed when all of Saylee’s Pokémon immediately looked at him.

“She’s my _best friend_ ,” he said pointedly. “I haven’t been the best friend to her, though. Fair’s fair, neither has she all the time. Still, two wrongs don’t make a right.” Saylee was beginning to stir again. “Look, kid, one more thing. Don’t ask her why she bothered to protect you before she even knew who you are. I honestly don’t think she understands the question.”

Tobias suddenly flitted over to Saylee’s bedside table, grabbing her glasses. Blue looked over at Saylee to see that she’d opened her eyes and was picking at the bandage in her hand in confusion. When Tobias handed her glasses to her, she smiled and gave him a pat on the head.

“Thanks, Toby,” she said, sitting up and looking around. “I didn’t expect to see you come back, Silver… I’m glad you did, though.”

The boy chewed his lip for a moment before blurting out, “I lied to you too. My name’s not Silver.”

“It’s not?” his Pokémon said in surprise.

“I used a fake name when I ran away so Team Rocket wouldn’t find me so easy… if they were even looking,” he added bitterly.

“…Well, that explains why Vera didn’t know anything when you asked her about a red-haired kid named Silver,” Tobias pointed out.

“You two think alike,” Blue said, looking between the half-siblings. “That is actually kind of disturbing.”

“You couldn’t even tell _us_ your real name?” Silver’s black Pokémon demanded.

Silver shook his head. “Mum and Dad always said there’s no need to tell Pokémon anything important…” he frowned. “I said lots of stuff to Tyra that I didn’t need to. Shouldn’t have…”

“Would you stop it with that kicked Pichu look?” Blue demanded. “You’re not about to get in trouble for being less of a bastard to your Pokémon than your parents, ceez…”

“Silver, I know that, even now, they’re still your parents…” Saylee began.

“Well, _duh_ ,” Silver said. He was already visibly regretting everything he’d said since entering the room and retreating back into his shell.

“I just hope you can understand someday that they’re not always right,” Saylee said quickly. “Showing your Pokémon that you care doesn’t make you weak.”

“Says _you_ ,” Silver muttered. His black Pokémon and Magneton exchanged looks.

“Considering that the last time we fought your father, we utterly _destroyed_ him,” Carrie said pointedly. “I think Saylee knows what she’s talking about.”

“So, what is your real name anyway?” Silver’s Magneton asked. “Could you tell us?”

“No,” the boy said sullenly. “It’s a _stupid_ name.”

“If you want, I can keep calling you Silver,” Saylee offered. “As a nickname. What do you think?”

“Do what you want,” Silver complained, getting to his feet. “C’mon, Siren. We’re going.”

“I guess that counts as progress with that kid,” Blue sighed, watching him go. “What a piece of work.”

“It was a long time before I heard him call any of his Pokémon except Tyra by name,” Saylee said with a smile. “Anyway, it wasn’t so long ago that you were complaining about weak Pokémon and useless loads.”

“Touché,” Blue muttered. “A fight’s no place for weakness. Doesn’t mean that there’s no place for weakness at _all_ , though. Not everyone’s a fighter, and it’s not like there’s anything wrong with that.”

“Y’think the wean’ll be back?” Mary asked.

“Prob’ly,” Chip said. “Tyra’ll no doubt be makin’ him.”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere for a few weeks at least,” Saylee sighed. “The doctors want me under observation until all of my wounds have healed and they’re _certain_ that all of the venom’s out of my system.” She yawned hugely and looked around her Pokémon. “I know none of you really want to just sit in your pokéballs that whole time—“ Chaz in particular shook his head vigorously, “— but you don’t have to hang around with here the whole time. I’ll probably be sleeping a lot just now.”

“Damn right you are,” Blue said, standing up. “You’ve got blood to replenish and wounds to heal, so you’d better get on that sleeping thing right now.”

“Thought you weren’t going to order me around anymore?” Saylee said dryly, yawning again.

“Just relaying the doctor’s orders,” Blue said. “We’ll leave you alone so you can sleep.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Mary agreed. “’Mon, everyin, let’s head oot tae the park. I hear there’s a sports dome gone up, an’ I want tae see what’s gaun on there.”

“We’ll be comin’ back t’be visitin’ loads, though, ‘kay?” Chip said. “We want t’be knowin’ when you’re feelin’ better!”

“You’ll be okay, won’t you?” Carrie said, patting Saylee’s hand. Saylee nodded, her eyes drooping closed.

“I will be,” she promised. “You guys have fun and tell me what happens… okay…?” she yawned again. “It’s all still a lot to take in… but maybe… after some sleep…”

After a few moments, Blue reached over and took off her glasses and put them on her bedside table. They’d dig into her nose in her sleep otherwise.

{}

“So how long are you all staying?” Tobias asked his parents excitedly.

“Have you missed us?” Carrie said, hugging him. “Don’t worry. We’ve missed you too. We’ll be here… well, I don’t know how long.”

“Ahhh, it’ll be good tae relax a wee bit, now Team Rocket’s in the jail,” Mary said happily, stretching her stubby little arms. “Now Wendy an’ Di’ve been avenged!”

“Mmm…” Georgia nodded, but she looked sad.

“Doesn’t really make it feel any better, though, does it?” Carrie said gently. “They killed my mother. Destroying them… it was the right thing to do, to stop them killing anyone else. But it didn’t bring my mother back, or fill the hole her death left in my life.”

“Yeah… don’t really make up for Diana bein’ gone, does it?” Nider said morosely. “Did anythin’ make you feel better?”

“My friends,” Carrie said. “Chaz and Saylee and… the others… and Hernan and Tobias,” Carrie said, taking Hernan’s hand. “All that lives must die. As a grave guardian, I know that innately. Loss is inevitable, but that doesn’t stop it hurting. Only time and love heal the wounds.”

“Don’t seem t’be helpin’ her much,” Chip said, watching Georgia stomp on morosely, seemingly sunk into her own thoughts.

“She was real close to Wendy,” Tobias said sadly. “Dunno if anything’ll help her for a while.”

“No amount of pretty words makes grief go away,” Blue said. “You said it yourself, Carrie; time’s important. Anyway, so far it looks like you guys have the time to mourn, since that looks to be all of Team Rocket right now, but the fact is that Giovanni’s still out there somewhere, planning to rise again.” He frowned. “Saylee’ll probably need that time, too. She’s gotten good at acting like she’s alright, but… I can’t imagine what it feels like. When my parents died, that was awful, but at least they were never absolute bastards…”

“I’m surprised you told her,” Hernan said. “I’m glad you did… just surprised.”

“I wish I hadn’t,” Blue said morosely. “But her mum definitely needed to know, and then she probably would have told Saylee sooner or later… and then she just would’ve gotten pissed off at me again for keeping things from her. She’s never liked people keeping things from her just to make her feel better, even when she was a kid. Red was like that too, always losing patience with adults who kept things from kids just to make us feel better. Didn’t like being made to feel stupid just because he was little.”

“Yeah… for someone who been hidin’ their identity, she was tellin’ me the truth quick enough,” Chip said. “An’ the others, too, when Toby was showin’ up.”

“She’ll want to go back and tell the truth to everyone in Johto too, now,” Blue sighed. “I’m surprised she could bring herself to lie at all…”

“Morty said that there have been Rocket spies all over Johto that would’ve gone after her straight away if she’d been going with her real name and Pokémon,” Tobias said. “She had to.”

“I mean, man, if they tried to kill her soon as they knew who she was…” Nider said, shaking his head. “Damn cool that you and your team saved her.  Amazed that you didn’t kill that Proton bastard. I think I woulda.”

“I wanted to, trust me,” Blue grumbled. “But… lying’s one thing, killing another. It’s not a line I want to cross ever again, for any reason.”

“Again?” Mary asked in surprise. “You _killed_ someyin?”

“I was responsible for Paul’s death,” Blue said softly. “And Eliza’s, even if it was by accident. So why the hell did that moron look so damn happy to see me…?”

“I’m gaunnae hazard a guess that it was ‘cause of yous savin’ ‘er life,” Mary said. “’Cause that would make _me_ pretty happy. Not dyin’, ken?”

“You’ve got a point there,” Blue sighed. “Well… at least that’s all past now. So what’s this Pokéathlon thing about, anyway?”


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“Good morning, dear. Or afternoon, rather. Did you sleep well?”

Saylee scrabbled for her glasses. “Thank you,” she muttered when someone pressed them into her hand. The first thing she noticed when she put them on was a dreamcatcher, and she stared at it for a moment, reorienting herself. Then she looked over at her visitor. “I slept very well, thanks. And you are…?”

It was an elderly lady, pale-skinned and white-haired. She had silver-rimmed glasses, tightly curled hair and a neat, calf-length white coat. She was sitting next to Saylee’s hospital bed with a backpack sitting in her lap, peering over her glasses at Saylee. Her dark red eyes twinkled when she smiled. “My name’s Helen Pryce, dear.”

“Pryce… oh, are you related to Sir Arthur Pryce?” Saylee asked. “The ice master?”

“He’s my husband, dear,” Helen said, nodding. “Have you met him?”

Saylee shook her head. “I’ve only read about him… I researched some of the prominent trainers in Johto when I moved here.”

“Looking for Team Rocket connections, dear?” Helen said. “Don’t look so surprised, you’re big news. ‘Saylee the Kanto Spy’, they’re calling you on the news. You and your Pokémon invaded the Rocket base back home in Mahogany, too, didn’t you? I was one of the hostages being held down there. I owe a lot to your Golem. Without her, we all would have died.”

“I’m glad you’re alright,” Saylee said.

“I wish I could say the same for you, dear,” Helen sighed, looking at Saylee’s IV drip. “Well, I suppose it’s lucky you’re alive, anyway. Arthur will be pleased, too. He’s been hoping to battle you since you drove out Team Rocket, you see. These days, he rarely gets to battle a trainer of high calibre!” She laughed. “Don’t think his age will drag him down! Nothing else ever has!”

“I’d be excited to battle him when I’m out of this bed,” Saylee said, scowling at her IV drip herself. “I understand that once you and the other hostages were freed, he kicked all the Team Rocket ass he could find.”

“Language, dear,” Helen said mildly, “but yes, that was so. He participated quite enthusiastically in the rounding up of those awful thugs here in Goldenrod too. Kudos to you for defeating the leaders, however, dear. Speaking of which… I understand that you’ve met my son Giovanni?”

“Your s—” Saylee’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped a little as she stared at Helen Pryce. Scrambling for something to say, all she could think of was, “—so that’s how Team Rocket knew about that underground hideout…”

“Gio must have had notes about it somewhere, or people still working down there, because nobody else in the town knew about it,” Helen sighed. “Too bad Gio wasn’t there. I don’t approve of physical disciplining of children, so I must never have given him a good sound thumping as a child, but he’s an adult so I’d certainly like to give him one now…”

“Join the club,” Saylee said dryly.

“Must be a family trait,” Helen said, smiling ruefully. “When Arthur and I came here to help deal with those awful Rockets and started asking after the young lady who rescued us in Mahogany before vanishing one evening, I met a nice young man who told me something interesting. Gio’s been hiding my grandchildren from me!”

“Um, Silver, anyway,” Saylee said. “I don’t think he knew that… that I’m…”

“Still too hard to say, is it, dear?” Helen said sympathetically. “It’s all right. Cursed memories… they’ve fooled around with everyone’s lives. I mean, I have given birth to and raised three children, and I only met one of them at all about ten years ago. We didn’t know if Gio was alive or dead; we only had photographs of him. Oh, and a letter. It said that things in Kanto were getting dangerous and he was sending his wife and son to Johto, but they never arrived… must have been on their way when whatever happened, happened.”

 _So that’s why Mum and Red were at the docks in Vermillion_ … “We didn’t have anything… I only just found out that he’s… my _father…_ ” the word tasted awful in her mouth, but she had to say it.

“It’ll get easier to accept if you can say it,” Helen said sympathetically. “Yes. Giovanni is your father, and my younger son. And you’re my granddaughter. You’ve got a grandfather, aunts and uncles, and cousins too. Wyatt and Lucy are about your age, come to that.”

“They are? Wow…” Saylee rubbed her eyes. “It’s a lot to take in, but… I’m only just realizing that being… being Giovanni’s daughter means more than, well, being Giovanni’s daughter. I’ve never had any family except Mum and Red, and now…”

“I’m not going to pile everyone in here to meet you,” Helen promised. “Take your time to get used to it. I promise that, to the best of my knowledge, nobody else in the family is a criminal psychopath.”

“…Between Giovanni and Silver, I think I’ve already had the worst of new relatives,” Saylee admitted. “I think I’d like to meet everyone. Eventually. Maybe not right now…” she yawned widely. “I just woke up, why am I still tired…”

“That happens when you’re healing, dear,” Helen said, patting Saylee’s hand. “Tell you what. Arthur will want to visit you too, soon, but I’ll tell everyone to hold off until you’re out of hospital. You should come back to Mahogany when you’re out, then you can meet your family.”

“I’d like that,” Saylee said, squeezing Helen’s fingers. The old woman’s hand was wrinkled and soft, and very warm.

“You ought to bring your mother and brothers, too,” Helen continued. “I’d love to meet them. Are they in Kanto?”

“My Mum is, so it might be hard to get her out here safely…” Saylee said. “Silver’s here, though. He’s my younger half-brother. I have a full brother, Red… but he’s been missing for a long while.”

“Oh, no!” Helen gasped. “Oh, that’s terrible. Have you any idea where he is?”

“East of Ecruteak, west of Kanto, that’s all I know…” Saylee sighed. “But Morty had a vision. He said I’ll find Red in the snow.”

“Well, Arthur says it’s to be a snowy winter, and he’s never wrong when it comes to the cold…” Helen said, digging into the backpack. “If you’re planning to go traipsing around in the snow, you ought to have these. I just finished them and I’d like you to have them. I’ve missed seventeen of your birthdays, anyway…” She handed a soft bundle of yellow wool to Saylee.

“Thank you!” Saylee said, unfolding it. Most of the wool was a long yellow scarf, but as she unwound it, a pair of lighter yellow gloves fell out, along with an orange wool hat. It had a bobble on top. Saylee blanked that out in favour of cuddling the scarf. “It’s so warm! Is this Mareep wool?”

“Flareon fur,” Helen said. “Wonderful stuff, isn’t it?”

“Thank you so much,” Saylee said, trying on the gloves. They were actually a little big on her, but warm and soft all the same. “This is wonderful. I really… thank you.” She pressed the scarf to her face. Her eyes felt very, very hot. She was mortified to realize that she was crying. “I-I’m sorry, I don’t know why…”

“Don’t worry about it, dear,” Helen said, patting her shoulder. “It’s all been a bit much lately, I’m sure. Don’t try to bottle it up. It’ll do you good to let it out and have a good cry.” Saylee could only nod helplessly, crying into her scarf.

“Sorry about that,” she sniffed a while later, wiping her eyes off with the back of her hand. “…I do feel a little better, though.”

“That’s the way,” Helen said, squeezing Saylee’s shoulder. “A lot’s happened recently. You gained some family, lost your poor Dragonair…”

Saylee nodded, feeling a lump rising in her throat again at the mention of Diana. “Diana… I promised I was going to take her home to Blackthorn…”

“You still can in a way, dear,” Helen said. “We gave her remains a proper funeral, but we kept her horn and one of her pearls. You probably ought to take those back to Blackthorn so she can have a funeral in their style.”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, nodding and wiping her eyes again.

“Lee? Are you okay?”

Tobias was peering around the door at about head-height. Mary, Carrie and Hernan followed him in, looking in confusion at Helen.

“I’ll leave you with your friends, dear,” Helen said, zipping her backpack closed and standing up. “It’s wonderful to meet you, and I expect I’ll be back with Arthur quite soon. Do look after yourself until then.”

“It’s good to meet you, um…”

“Call me Helen until you’re ready, dear.” Helen smiled brightly at Saylee and left.

“Who was that, Saylee?” Carrie asked curiously.

“Her name’s Helen,” Saylee said, hugging the scarf, “and she’s…”

“Hey, new stuff!” Nider said, stomping into the room. “What’s this?” He picked up the orange hat, peering at the bobble. “Nice! I’m stealin’ this!” He stuck the hat on top of his head, stretching it over the knobbly scales and smaller spikes. The orange hat clashing with his purple skin was so ugly, and seeing Nider in a bobble hat was so utterly ridiculous, that Saylee burst into hysterical laughter.

“Nider, ye cannae jus’ nick Lee’s stuff!” Mary chastised him.

“No… ‘s okay…” Saylee choked out, doubling up over her stomach. She desperately tried to get her laughter under control; it was starting to make her throat hurt. “Oh, wow… thank you, Nider. You can keep the hat. I needed that.”

“So who was that woman?” Hernan asked suspiciously. “Was she upsetting you?”

“No, no,” Saylee insisted. “I’ve just… a lot’s happened lately. But y’know, not all of it’s bad. After all, it looks like I have a granny now!”

{}

“Lyra! You’re alive!”

“Hi, Ethan,” Saylee said, putting down her book as the exuberant kid ran into the room. He was grinning as widely as ever and looked unaffected by his ordeal in Goldenrod. Marina was, as ever, in tow; she was taller than him now. “How are you?”

“We’re okay, thanks to you and your boyfriend!” Ethan said happily. Saylee was glad that Blue wasn’t in the room because that comment made her go red enough. She pointedly ignored her visiting Pokémon sniggering at her. “Thank you so much! I’m sorry you got hurt, though,” he added guiltily.

“Not because of you,” Saylee promised him. “So, Marina, how does it feel to be an Azumarill?”

“ _Powerful_ ,” Marina said happily. “And I can swim really really deep now!”

“Anyway, I wanted to give you something to say thank you,” Ethan said, digging into his pockets. “I found it in the Underground. A Rocket tried to take it off me, that’s how we wound up fighting. Here!” He held up something silver and shimmering. “Isn’t it pretty?”

“It is,” Saylee agreed, holding it up to the light. It was a long silver feather. It looked fragile and translucent, but felt very strong, as if Saylee couldn’t tear it if she tried. It also seemed to glow slightly. When Saylee looked back at Ethan, she was startled to see his eyes had turned the same shade of silver.

“I’ll put it up with your other feather for you,” Ethan offered, climbing up to stand on Saylee’s bed and affix the strange silver feather to her dreamcatcher for her. When he looked down, his eyes had returned to their usual brown colour. Had Saylee imagined it? “There!”

“That’s very pretty,” Marina agreed, watching the dreamcatcher spin slightly.

“Thank you,” Saylee said, “now get down! My attending nurse will freak if she sees you standing on my bed in your shoes!”

“Oops!” Ethan hopped down and brushed some dirt off with his hand. “There! All clean!”

“That’s very sweet of you, Ethan,” Saylee said, looking at the silver feather. “Thank you. Now, you’ve not met Carrie, Hernan and Chaz before, have you?”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Ethan said politely. “Wow, you all look _tough_!”

“Tough as they come,” Saylee told him. “We fought Team Rocket together. You know, Ethan, there’s a secret that I haven’t told you, but I can now that Team Rocket are all arrested. Want to know what it is?”

“A secret? Yeah!” Ethan said excitedly. “That sounds cool! What is it?”

“My names not Lyra,” Saylee confessed. “I’m Saylee, and I’m… a spy from Kanto, here to stop Team Rocket!” It was an exaggeration, but it was cute to see the way the kid’s eyes bugged out.

“You’re a _real_ spy? Like on TV?” he said excitedly. “Wow! I just _knew_ you were cool! That’s so _mental_!” Then he frowned sadly. “But with Team Rocket gone… are you going back to Kanto?”

“Not yet,” Saylee promised. “I’ll be here a while. Come visit me the next time you’re visiting your grandparents, okay?”

“’Kay!” Ethan said happily.

“Ethan, your grandparents are waiting for you at the department store, remember?” Marina said.

“Oh, yeah! I’d better go!” Ethan said, rushing off. “Bye, Lyra! I mean, Saylee! Get well soon!”

“Is that kid a human or a Ponyta?” Hernan asked, watching Ethan run off.

“What’s this?” Tobias said, flying up to peer at the shimmering silver feather.

“I have no idea,” Saylee said. “Ethan found it. Apparently Team Rocket was trying to take it. I can’t tell what it’s from…”

“If they were trying to steal it, it’s probably worth money,” Chaz said, sniffing it. “Or it’s from a rare Pokémon. Does the Pokédex have anything to say about it?”

“I don’t know,” Saylee said, pulling out her Pokédex and setting some search parameters. “Hmm… it’s not quite the right colour for a Swanna or Wingull feather, and neither of them live in Kanto anyway…” she scrolled through some more options. “Actually, the closest colour match is… Lugia.”

“Lugia the _sea god_ Lugia?” Mary said in surprise, staring at the feather. “Whit the hell’s that daein’ here?”

“I have no idea,” Saylee said, thinking of Ethan’s eyes briefly turning silver. 


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“Are you _still_ in hospital?” Silver complained, hopping up onto the visitor chair. “How weak.”

“Excuse me for not having a Pokémon healing factor,” Saylee said, rubbing at the two smallest fingers of her right hand. They had been very stiff and hadn’t moved normally since the Lake of Rage. “I’m surprised you’re still in Goldenrod.”

“’Course I am, the cripple’s family feeds me,” Silver said, juggling one of his pokéballs. Saylee snatched it away from him left-handedly, secretly proud of herself for managing to hold onto it even though she fumbled slightly.

“Silver, I want us to be able to get along as siblings,” she said, “but I swear that the next time I hear you call Bill that, it will go very hard on you.”

“Why should I be scared of you?” Silver said. “You won’t hurt me.” He reached out for his pokéball. “Now give Siren back.”

Saylee transferred the pokéball to her injured right hand and held it away from him. When Silver leaned over to try and reach it, Saylee flicked his injured arm. Silver yelped in pain and leapt back, clutching his arm and staring at Saylee. Mag flew towards her, sparking, but Silver snatched him out of the air quickly.

“I will never really hurt you, Silver,” Saylee said. “But I am not above disciplinary pinging. Now, Bill and his parents are being very kind to put up you and Blue while you’re in Goldenrod, and extremely tolerant of your mouthing off. When people are nice to you, you ought to be nice back.”

“I always got told that if someone’s rude to you, you should give them a beating for it to show you’re strong,” Silver said, sitting back in a huff. “Nobody ever says I have to be _nice_.”

“Team Rocket never told you to be nice,” Saylee said. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but they are not shining examples of humanity.”

“And you are?” Silver snapped.

“I like to think I’m better than Team Rocket,” Saylee said, handing Siren’s pokéball back. “I’m sorry I hurt your arm. How is it feeling?”

“It’s fine, it’s just a little scrape,” Silver muttered, looking down. Saylee caught the flash of pain on his face, but didn’t say anything. It probably wasn’t pain from his wounded arm.

“Silver, please promise me that you won’t be rude to Bill,” Saylee sighed. “He’s very badly hurt, and the circumstances of his injury were very bad. His Clefairy died. If Tyra had died when you got that arm injury, how would you feel about people making fun of the scar on your arm?”

“I’d KILL them for that!” Silver shouted. “I wouldn’t let _anyone_ get away with that!”

“Bill’s much less angry than you are,” Saylee said sadly. “But it hurts him just as much when you make fun of his injuries. Next time you want to call him a cripple, think about that, okay?”

“…why should I care about _his_ feelings?” Silver said, staring at his arm.

“You’d want him to care about yours if it was the other way around, wouldn’t you?” Saylee told him. “It’d be a very cold world if nobody ever cared about anybody else’s feelings. The kind of world that people like Ariana and Giovanni live in. I don’t know about you, but I’m not interested in living in a world like that…”

“They’re _weak_ ,” Silver muttered. “ _That’s_ why I don’t want to be like them. I’m not _weak_ …”

“No, you’re not,” Saylee agreed. “If you don’t care what anyone thinks, why are you so intent on proving that to everyone?”

“I _don’t_ care! I’m _not_ weak!” Silver jumped to his feet. “Who cares about you? I’m out of here!” He stomped off towards the door.

“Silver,” Saylee called after him. “Thanks for visiting!”

“You’re welcome!” Mag said, flying after his trainer.

“Shut up, Mag!” Silver slammed the door behind him. Blue came in a few minutes later, staring over his shoulder.

“Man, that kid looked pissed off,” he commented.

“Yeah, but just as long as he stops calling Bill a cripple…” Saylee glanced back at the door, but Blue was on his own. “So, how’re all the Pokémon?”

“Hanging out at the Pokéathlon dome,” Blue said with a shrug. “Some of the sports there are pretty intense, actually, for all that it sets itself up as a cheesy-ass games centre. How’re you doing?”

“Feeling better,” Saylee said, rubbing her throat. “My injuries feel better, too. You were the one who told… Mrs. Pryce about me, right?”

“Yeah, somebody pointed her to me when she was asking after you,” Blue said. “Hope you don’t mind. I thought it would be good for you to meet a relative who wasn’t crazy.”

“It was. Thank you.” Saylee leaned over and squeezed Blue’s hand. “Thank you so much, Blue. For everything.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Blue frowned at her pale skin, the way the dark bruises on her wrists showed up even more lividly against it, the faintly red-stained bandages.  “Why do you always have to do this to yourself, Saylee? Why do you always run off into this stuff yourself?”

“Someone has to,” Saylee said, tensing herself for another argument.

“But it doesn’t have to be you!”

“Actually, it just might.”

Both of them stared sharply at the woman that had stepped into the hospital room. It was a geisha, hands held folded in front of her demurely. She was wearing a red kimono and a pink obi under a long black overcoat. “Who the hell are you?” Blue said in confusion.

“Don’t you dare spout some cryptic junk and run off again,” Saylee said warningly. “For once, can you speak straight and tell me what the hell you just said means?”

“Regardless of whether or not you believe it, this is the first time we’ve met since Ilex Forest, Saylee,” the geisha said, closing the door behind her. “But I have heard about you from my sisters. You have begun to appear in our divinations, Saylee, ever since the day you first came to Ecruteak.”

“Divinations? Are you a psychic or something?” Blue asked, frowning.

“Ella is,” The woman said, drawing a pokéball out of the folds of her obi. “But it is irrelevant. Our divinations are of an ancient style, directed by flows of an arcane power in this world. We watch over those around whom these flows tangle. Until now, such tangles have formed almost exclusively around gods and avatars.”

“Ava-whats?” Blue said, looking at Saylee. “Is this some super-secret women’s guild conversation, or am I allowed to know what that means?”

“Wait, I think I heard about this from Eusine… it’s a human destined to absorb one of the most powerful Pokémon in the world into their body,” Saylee said with a frown. “Pokémon powerful enough to be regarded as gods. I met a guy who’s hoping to become the avatar of Ho-oh—they think it’s the god of rebirth.”

“Wait… are you saying that _Saylee’s_ destined to be an avatar?” Blue said, looking from the Geisha to Saylee. “I’d worry that doing that would get you sucked into even more trouble, but I’m not sure if that’s actually possible.”

“Your body is not destined to harbour a god,” the Geisha said, shaking her head. “But those who are will be drawn to you, and you will defend them.”

“Wait, no,” Saylee said, shaking her head. “What does that mean?”

“It means that soon you will be able to see,” the Geisha responded. “You will be able to see those who are destined to become avatars, and you will be driven to defend them. Like Silver.”

“Are you trying to tell me,” Saylee said with a frown, “that the only reason I keep running into Silver, the only reason I was ever worried about that stupid kid, is because I’m _destined_ to? Because I’m _born_ to? No, I’m sorry—”

“Oh, no,” the Geisha interrupted. “As I said, the flows did not begin to tangle about you until you first came to Ecruteak. I don’t doubt that you are a kind soul who merely sought to look out for a lost child—“

“And can’t keep your nose out of trouble,” Blue agreed. “Does sound like you.”

“But in looking out for that child in the Burned Tower… at that time, in that place…” the Geisha continued. “Silver, though he did not realize it, was drawn to that place because of the Beasts sleeping underground. His presence awakened them. At that time, they awakened to see _you_ protecting them, and that brought you to the attention of a greater power.”

“Are you saying that Silver’s meant to be an avatar for one of those things?” Saylee asked sharply. “Suicune, Raikou, Entei…”

“He will be the master of all three, one day,” the geisha said smoothly.

Blue whistled. “That angry little kid?” he said. “Tell me that’s not any time soon, because that kid can barely handle himself and normal Pokémon, let alone anything _really_ powerful…”

“When his time comes, he will know what must be done,” the geisha said placidly. “He will have to take on Ho-oh’s power, because he has been chosen to do so. And I do hope that you will be there to guide him, Saylee. “

“Because it’s what I’m _chosen_ to do?” Saylee asked, irritated by the woman’s calm demeanour when talking about handing the powers of gods to damaged children.

“No, Saylee,” the geisha said, smiling placidly. “Weren’t you listening? You were not chosen. You _chose_. You chose to protect that child time and again. You chose to protect those others that needed protection. Each time that you chose to do so, each time that you succeed in doing so, the powers will be ever more drawn to you. Because you _can_ protect them. And every time you choose to do so, your powers will grow. Your ability to find them, to recognize them, to protect them.” She shook her head gently. “You can still choose _not_ to. I’m sure you are not the only one. Go home, live quietly, let Silver and the other avatars go about their way and the powers will lose interest.”

“I can’t just leave Silver on his own, though,” Saylee argued. “He’s my little brother! He’s got no other family, not now his mother’s in jail and our—I can’t abandon him!”

“You can,” the geisha interjected. “You are physically capable of doing so. But you _won’t_. I can see. And while you aren’t chosen, your little half-brother _is_ …” she stood up, bowed to them and left the room.

“Well, that was creepy as all hell,” Blue said, looking at Saylee. He put his hand on hers in an unusually gentle gesture. “Are you… alright? That sounds like a lot to take in, on top of everything…”

“Suddenly, finding out about my relatives doesn’t seem that bad,” Saylee sighed. “I… don’t know if I really buy all this ‘avatar’ stuff…” she couldn’t help thinking of Ethan’s silver-glazed eyes, or the way that Silver seemed to connect with Entei, Raikou and Suicune. “She’s right. I’m not going to abandon Silver, and I’m not going to be able to keep myself out of trouble if I see it… I _have_ to…”

“But _not on your own_ ,” Blue insisted, gripping her hand. “That weirdo was right, you really don’t listen—“

“I know, she said there might be others,” Saylee said, “but I haven’t met any yet, so until then, who else is there?”

“There’s me!” Blue shouted. “You’re not the only one who gets to _choose_ , okay? And you might be a protector, but sometimes you sure as hell need protecting. I happen to think that I’m quite a good trainer, believe it or not.”

“You are,” Saylee said, touching the bandages on her neck. “I…” she swallowed heavily. “I wanted to ask you to come with me. To Johto. But we started arguing again…” She shifted over on the bed. Blue took the hint and sat down next to her, leaning back against the headrest, not letting go of her hand. “Just like when I turned fifteen and I said I was going to leave. I really hoped that you’d want to come with me. We hadn’t been apart for a single day of our lives before that, had we? Adults came and went, Red came and went, but you and I…” she sighed. “But you got so mad… I thought you hated me.”

“I didn’t want you to vanish like Red,” Blue sighed. “And I was pissed off about you running off on your own… you never said you wanted me to come with you, how was I supposed to know?”

“You… I don’t know,” Saylee said, shaking her head. “We suck at this communication thing, don’t we? I missed you a lot, travelling on my own, but then every time we ran into each other we just fought… I was really glad to see you in the Radio Tower, y’know. Not just because you saved my life. Suddenly, it just all seemed so much more _doable_. Team Rocket didn’t feel like a threat anymore. I feel like if we travelled together, I could do anything.”

“You can do it anyway,” Blue grumbled.

“But I don’t _feel_ like I can,” Saylee said, leaning against his shoulder. “Not until I’m fighting with you. As in, on the same side, although sometimes proving you wrong is a good motivator…”

“Well, if that’s all I’m good for…” Blue sighed. He rolled his eyes at her startled look. “Oh, come on, you and Red are always the heroes. You’ve both run off to fight Team Rocket on your own, saved cities, doing all that heroic shit, while I just tag along. That’s what I’m _for_ , I guess. You protect the gods, I protect the heroes.”

“Funny,” Saylee said, squeezing his hand, “you looked pretty bloody heroic when you got Proton off me. And back when you turned up to help me fight through Silph. That’s proper hero timing, always turning up just in time…”

“Stop trying to make me sound like a good guy,” Blue grumbled. “I’m not. You can’t possibly have forgiven me for killing Eliza and Paul.”

Saylee sucked in her breath sharply. “Eliza… I know you and Sam didn’t mean to kill her,” Saylee said softly. “Paul…” she took her hand out of his, looking away. “I know why you did it. I know you were trying to protect me. That… that doesn’t make it okay. And I don’t know if and when I’ll be able to forgive you for it. But, Blue… you haven’t forgiven yourself for it either, have you? That’s why you’re doing all this, right?”

“Oh, for…” Saylee glanced over to see Blue facepalming. “You can be pretty clever about Pokémon, but you’re also a moron, you know that?”

“So you keep telling me,” Saylee said, giving him a push. He swore as he rolled off the bed and thumped onto the floor. “What’s your point?”

“My point is that yes, I still feel terrible about Eliza and Paul,” Blue said, leaning up and peering at Saylee over the edge of the bed, “but I didn’t haul my ass all the way out here on a guilt trip. I came for the same reason I do any stupid shit, like leaving Pallet or having Paul killed. I came because I care about you, moron.”

“…forgive me for not getting that when you alternate between saving my life and killing my Pokémon,” Saylee said, stomach clenching with something halfway between fear and happiness. “One minute you’re telling me Giovanni’s my father, then that I have a really nice granny who makes scarves.”

“All true and relevant information,” Blue insisted. “Sorry for not figuring out a way to tell you about your gran without bringing up your _dad_.”

“That’s not it, it’s just…” Saylee ran her hands through her hair, trying to figure out how to articulate her thoughts. “Since before I was born, we moved around all the time. Even when we settled in Pallet, it’s constantly been changing as we try to build, as things get destroyed, and we try again… in all that time, there’ve only been three constant, important people in my life.” She held up three fingers. “Red, Mum, and you. But Red’s gone, nobody knows where. Mum’s…” she hesitated.

“She’s not someone you can lean on,” Blue said softly.

“I love Mum,” Saylee insisted quickly. “And I know she loves Red and me… I can’t count how often, when we were kids, she’d give up her own food so we could eat… but she spent so much of our travel searching for a husband that she couldn’t be sure existed, as if finding him would make everything better. She pined endlessly. Since forever, Red’s been the strong one…”

“And me?” Blue asked, standing up.

“I told you, you’ve always been there,” Saylee said, fidgeting with her fingers rather than looking up at him. “You always made everyone smile. Even if it meant being a jerk, so long as it was funny…” she bit at her lip nervously. “You’re the only dependable constant left in my life, and the past couple of years, you haven’t been constant. You’ve been… I don’t know. I don’t know what to make of it. And I want to, I really do, but things get in the way… I have to find Red, and you…”

"I've got to protect Pallet and Viridian," Blue said. "I probably shouldn't be away from it for too long as it is. SG's covering for me, but wild Pokémon and the roaming gangs are still a problem…" he scratched his head and sighed. "Since you're a moron, I will say this flat out: you're important to me, Saylee. I don't like seeing you get hurt. REALLY don't like it. But sometimes, I don't get you at all. Sometimes, I don't know what to make of you either…" He shook his head and sat down heavily next to her. "Mostly, I really just wish I could make you a happier person."

Saylee put her hand over his where it rested on top of the sheet. "Nobody makes me happy like you do, Blue. Nobody makes me sad like you, either, but… either way, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I'd rather be making you happy than sad," Blue said wryly.

She watched him for a moment, not sure how to respond, before smiling slightly.

"If you're up for it, I have something that could make us both happy."

Blue raised a curious eyebrow. "That would be?"

Saylee tugged on his sleeve a little, inviting him to lean closer, before kissing him. If it had seemed like a good idea at first, it had suddenly seemed even better when whatever surprise he'd felt in the beginning had quickly evaporated and he kissed her back.

"Lee! Did something good happen? You suddenly felt really really happy and—OOPS, SORRY!"

Blue and Saylee jerked apart in time to see Tobias whirl around and fly back out the door. "Toby!" Saylee called.

"Well, that was private for all of five seconds," Blue snorted, leaning back and putting his arm around her shoulder. “Good, though. Definitely a good idea. We need to do that again sometime.” Saylee leaned against him with a little laugh.

"From the way some of my Pokémon talk, there will be exactly no surprise anyway," she said. "So, what now?"

"Just what we were saying, I guess," Blue said with a little shrug. "I'll go back to look after Pallet and Viridian over the winter. You'll go get to know your family. But now…"

"Now we know," Saylee said, working an arm around him. "Now we both know. And we still have time before winter comes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Flees screaming from attempts to write romance*


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

Saylee stared at the dreamcatcher, feeling her brain kick into gear. She spent so much time sleeping at the moment that her Pokémon mostly hung out at the Pokéathlon Dome or the park, yet she could feel someone watching her. She blinked at the two figures, probably human, sitting next to her bed, and then reached for her glasses.

“Arthur, dear, she’s awake.”

“ _My_ eyesight is perfectly fine, Helen.”

“You’re always so critical, Arthur.”

Nervousness roiled in Saylee as she recognized Helen, the wrinkled old lady with the dark red eyes, Giovanni’s mother, Saylee’s grandmother. And the man next to her had to be Sir Arthur Pryce, Saylee’s grandfather.

He was very tall and seemed even taller because of how straight and proud he sat. Despite his white hair, he didn’t have as many wrinkles as Helen, just a few deep lines on a still-sharp face. He was an ice master, Saylee had heard, a fortnight and a million years ago, before she’d discovered that she had a family through her father.

Pryce was sitting with his arms crossed and an intent look focused on Saylee.

_Don’t let them intimidate you. Stare them down._

“Nice to meet you,” Saylee said, looking him firmly in the eye. He nodded and held his hand out for her to shake. For some reason, Saylee had expected his hand to be ice-cold, but it was humanly warm and had a grip that felt like it was making her bones creak. Saylee returned the grip as best she could.

“Your Pokémon rescued Helen and the others from Team Rocket,” he said. “Was it because they were your relatives?”

“Um, no, it was because they were hostages,” Saylee replied. “I didn’t know we were related until a couple of days ago. I’m still getting the hang of it…”

“I owe you a debt of gratitude, in any case,” Pryce said with a surprisingly warm smile. “I understand that Gio was not involved with Rocket’s latest shenanigans, but nevertheless it’s his organization and I’d disown the little bastard if it didn’t also mean severing links to a fine granddaughter, and a couple of grandsons too, I understand.”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, immeasurably touched. “I… wow. I have _grandparents_. This is still pretty new to me...”

“Don’t worry, dear, we’re quite experienced at having grandchildren,” Helen said warmly. “When you’re ready, you’ve cousins to meet. A couple of them are about your age, I think I mentioned...”

“Y…yeah…” Saylee knew what cousins were—Janine had several—but most people of her age and older in Kanto barely knew who their _siblings_ were, let alone any family beyond that. “I wish my brother was here… my big brother Red’s been missing for a while,” she explained. “About three years. A psychic in Kanto told me that he was to the west, and Morty said that he was to the east and that I’d find him in snow…”

“What was it you said before? East of Johto, west of Kanto… you don’t suppose it could be Blackthorn, do you?” Helen said thoughtfully. “They’re so high up that it’s snowy quite a bit of the year. Is Red a good trainer, dear? Lots of powerful trainers wind up in Blackthorn.”

“He’s the best,” Saylee said firmly.

“Hmm… problem is, the only way into the city is through the Ice Path,” Pryce mused. “And it ices over _entirely_ in the winter. It’ll be too dangerous to enter within a week, you mark my words.”

“When it comes to ice, dear, you do know best,” Helen agreed.

“A _week_?” Saylee said, sitting up in a panic. “If I don’t go now, I’ll miss my chance—!”

“Stay right where you are, young lady!” Pryce barked sharply. “I hear you’re a clever girl, far too clever to be acting like an idiot!” Saylee lay back down, almost physically pushed by the strength of his glare. “Blackthorn is snowy for ten months a year due to how high in the mountains the damned place is. When the Ice Path melts enough to be passable in late February, it’ll still be snowy in Blackthorn. The dragon masters settled there because they believed the cold would make their dragons stronger.”

“Dragons…?” Saylee was mortified to feel hot tears welling up and tried to rub them away. “I-I’m sorry… my Dragonair, Diana… I wish I could have taken her there… she was killed in a Rocket trap…”

“The Dragonair that we found in the wreckage of the underground lab,” Pryce said with a nod. “You can take her horn back. Things have been awful busy since then…”

“Yeah… I’m all over the place emotionally right now,” Saylee sighed, swallowing a lump in her throat. Highs and lows, from kissing Blue to Diana’s death… Blue had told her about Selene, too. Saylee had barely known the dying Staryu that she’d captured near Olivine and sent to Vera to look after in the clean lake by New Bark. Selene had been grateful enough to Saylee to come fight against Team Rocket for her and had died with her core jewel crushed under the heel of a Rocket’s boot. Blue hadn’t told her for a few days, saying that he didn’t want to pile a second death on top of losing Diana and dealing with the emotional turmoil of finding out about her father. For once, Saylee couldn’t really blame him. Finding out Selene’s death had been a dull blow; there was guilt that Selene had died fighting for her, but none of the personal grief that had accompanied so many other deaths. Even that guilt was lost in everything else that was happening…

“How long until you’re out of hospital?” Pryce asked.

“Just… about a week, I think,” Saylee said. “I’m going to spend a couple of days here in Goldenrod with Silver, Blue and my Pokémon before we all go our separate ways for the winter...” she looked at her grandparents. “Silver and I… could we spend the winter in Mahogany? With you?”

“Of course, dear!” Helen said effusively. “We can get to know you two, you can meet your cousins and your aunts and uncles… It’ll be good for both of you to have a bit of time in a stable home, too, I’m sure. Oooh, we can all go to the Langnicht ceremonies in Ecruteak together! Have you ever been? Well, of course, you’ve never been in Johto during Langnicht before, but…”

“I’m sure the Langnicht celebrations are different from ours in Kanto,” Saylee said. “I can’t wait to see it. I’ll be travelling around the country on and off through winter, just in case, but…”

“You’ve got a home base in Mahogany now, don’t you worry,” Pryce said firmly. “You’re our family. I’ll be doing some travelling on and off, myself. Need to talk to some of the captains of ships coming in and out of Olivine. We used to travel all over back in the day, Helen and I. We know more than a few of them.”

“I’m from Sinnoh myself,” Helen explained. “Our three were all born while travelling. Ah, those were the days…”

“Yes, some’ve the Captains will know me,” Pryce mused. “Gio’s best chance of getting out of the country’ll have been by ship. I’ll have to see about any suspicious passengers they’ve carried…” he smiled grimly. “He’s still our son, and I think that does make it my job to be part of bringing the fool to justice. I can’t deny the desire to give the boy a good kicking myself.”

Saylee giggled. She couldn’t help it. Helen Pryce was warm and Arthur Pryce cold, but they both talked about Giovanni—cruel, megalomaniacal Giovanni—like a naughty child, and the way they talked and moved around each other was close in a way that Saylee wasn’t accustomed to. Too many people in Kanto were teenagers, widows and widowers… she’d never been around a couple that were _close_ like this. Morty and Eusine almost counted, but they hadn’t been together as long as these two, and as Eusine had told her, there were still a lot of issues with Morty’s heritage between them.

It was kind of like what she’d imagined having two parents was like, as a kid. She didn’t remember Blue’s parents much, but she remembered that they hadn’t been _happy_ like these two. Well, where they lived, who was?

A pokégear rang. Saylee looked at hers, noticing with some confusion that it was still and silent on her bedside table. “It’s alright, dear, that’s mine,” Helen said, fishing her own pokégear out of her bag. “Hello? Oh, Wyatt, dear! No, we’re visiting the hospital… we’ll tell you all about it. Oh, is that the time already?” She held her pokégear away to check the time. “Goodness me! I’m so sorry, dear, we lost track of time, we’ll be on our way in just a mo! Love you, dear, see you soon!” She blew a kiss into the phone and hung up. “Saylee, dear, I’m so sorry, we promised to meet your cousin while we were here in Goldenrod and you slept longer than we thought you would.”

“I sleep all the time,” Saylee said ruefully. “I’ve already read all the books Morty sent me twice, and I’m _bored_ in here.”

“Well, shall we tell Wyatt to come visit you?” Pryce said, standing up and holding Helen’s coat for her to shrug into. “He’s about your age. He lives here with his parents in Goldenrod and plays music for the radio. He’s very good, especially on the piano.”

“That’s my cousin?” Saylee said in surprise, looking at her pokégear. “Wow… I’ve listened to his music before. He _is_ good. I’d love to meet him.”

“Wonderful!” Helen said, looking pleased. “We’ll tell him all about you, I’m sure he’ll love to come visit. Now, we’d best dash.” She leaned over and planted a kiss on Saylee’s cheek. “Do look after yourself, dear. We’ll set up a couple of rooms for you and your brother back home. Oh, is your young man coming too?”

“He’s not my—” Saylee cut herself off when she remembered that, yes, Blue actually kind of _was_ now. “No, he’s going back to Kanto soon. After I’m out of the hospital.”

“When are you going back?” Pryce said, picking up a cane. He wasn’t leaning any weight on it at all; Saylee wasn’t sure why he needed it, unless a sword or something was hidden inside. “Your mother still lives in Kanto, doesn’t she?”

“I’ll go back when I have Red to bring back with me,” Saylee said firmly. “I’m not going back home without my brother.”

“Your brother’s lucky that you’re looking for him, dear,” Helen said with a smile. “We’ll see you soon, then. Do look after yourself!”

“Take care,” Pryce said, nodding to Saylee as he and his wife left.

Saylee reached over and picked up her pokégear, turning on the radio and tuning it to the music channel. Elegant violin music was playing. Goldenrod Radio prided themselves on live music, so it wouldn’t be her cousin, but it was pleasant to listen to anyway. She wondered if she’d heard him play before. _I must have. I’m kind of jealous, to be honest. I never learned to play much beyond simple flute tunes… I wonder what he’s like?_

{}

“Yous’ll be right in there fae the championship,” Mary said, giving Toby a congratulatory nuzzle as the other Pokemon piled into the prep room to greet Carrie, Hernan and Tobias, who were resting up after the competition. “It’s gaunnae be the day Lee’s oot ae the hospital, aye?”

“Aye… yeah,” Chip said, nodding and edging around the bench that Hernan was sitting on. “She’ll be seein’ you three competin’ for the first time, right?”

Carrie nodded. “This is pretty fun,” she said, examining the shiny medal that she, Hernan and Tobias had just won. “It’s a good way to hone crucial battle skills in a non-lethal context. I like it.”

“Can you even ‘ave fun without it bein’ about figh’in’?” Georgia wanted to know. Hernan and Carrie looked blankly at each other.

“Dad’s a fighting-type and Mum’s a hereditary grave guardian, so no,” Toby laughed. “But that’s fine! Oooh, I can’t wait for the championship now! I can’t wait for Lee to see!”

“Hey, guys,” Chaz said, poking his head through the door of the prep room. “Just so you know, there was a paper-pusher making trouble about you guys entering without a trainer again.”

“What happened?” Hernan said, walking out of the door and peering around. The main hall of the Pokéathlon Dome was vast enough for even Chaz to have plenty of space to move around, and he wasn’t even the biggest Pokémon around. A gigantic, metallic Onix was looming over the check-in desk at the far end of the dome.

“I told ‘em I’m your trainer,” Nider declared. “Got me a hat and everything.” He poked at the bobble hat, the bright orange still clashing hideously with his purple skin. Since how ugly it was didn’t outweigh how funny it still was, they let him keep it.

“I told him to take it up with Saylee if he had a problem,” Chaz grunted. “I think they need to change the guidelines. Young Pokémon that are new to training, sure, they’ll need directions, but the more seasoned battlers and competitors…”

“Hernan? It is you, isn’t it?”

“Hmm?” Hernan turned around, looking around for the person who’d called out to him. There was a shout of joy as something leapt on him from above, foot striking at his head. He dodged immediately, parrying and punching out. His attacker was a blur of long brown limbs, attacking and parrying as precisely as Hernan.

“What do you think you’re _doing_?” Carrie demanded, flinging her bone club at the attacker, who leapt aside. She was surprised to see that Hernan was laughing. “What’s going on, Hernan? Who is that?”

“Horado!” He called. “Is it really you? I thought you were dead!”

“Likewise, you idiot!” The brown figure stilled to a point where they could see him. He had a smooth brown body with long, coiled legs. He had no face, simply a pair of eyes that were crinkled in a smiling way. Nobody could figure out how he was talking, or indeed laughing. “I thought you’d been killed when the dojo collapsed! You vanished!”

“That’s my line!” Hernan grabbed Horado and rubbed his knuckles off the top of the other’s head. “The master returned me, that’s the last thing I remember. The next thing I know, I’ve been dug out of the rubble by these fantastic people! Oh, the stories I’ve got to tell you…” He turned back to the group, grinning broadly. “Everyone— this is my brother, Horado. He’s a Hitmonlee.”

“Your missing brother!” Carrie said, expression brightening in comprehension. “That’s wonderful! It’s very nice to meet you, Horado. Blessings be on your soul.”

“Blessings be on your soul,” Tobias echoed. “Hi, Uncle Horado!”

“Uncle?” Horado said, turning a curious look on Hernan.

“This is my mate, Carrie, and our son Tobias,” Hernan said. “And this is Chaz, a Charizard, and quite the ally to fight alongside. These are my son’s friends—Mary, Chip, Nider, Georgia…”

“Horado! There you are!”

“Master!” Horado said, turning to address a highly muscled human man in tattered white clothes. “Hernan’s alive!”

“Hernan!” The human said, grinning happily when he saw Hernan. He threw a punch that Hernan blocked easily, throwing a punch back that the human actually _deflected_. “It is you! Damn, give my regards to whoever builds pokéballs! I hoped it would keep you safe, and I guess I was right!”

“Very much so,” Hernan said, patting the scar on his face. “I got away with only this. How did you all escape?”

“By the skin of our teeth,” the master said, scratching his head. “We went into training in Mt Mortar… and then that radio signal went out!”

“Were you fighting in Goldenrod?” Horado asked. “We got into some mighty streetfights!”

“You were there?” Hernan said. “So were we!”

“We were underground or in the Radio Tower most of the time,” Carrie said. “We probably missed you entirely.”

“Hmm, no doubt,” Horado sighed. “Then we came here to compete, and what do I see on the display screens but a Hitmonchan called Hernan who looks remarkably like my lost brother Hernan? I had to investigate!” He kicked up, bumping his foot against Hernan’s fist. “I was going to ask you to come train with us, but…”

“Yes, it looks like you have a brand new training group,” the master said, bowing his head to Carrie and the others.

“I have a new family,” Hernan said, taking Carrie’s hand in his. “But I’m so glad that you’re both alive. I really am. We’ll have to have a match sometime! I’d love for you to meet my new trainer, Saylee, but she’s in hospital right now.”

“Saylee from Kanto? The one who lead the assault on Team Rocket here and in Saffron from what I heard?” The master said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Yes, I think I’d like to meet her very much. We’ll have to do battle soon!”

“Please tell me he means with Pokémon,” Chaz muttered to Hernan. Hernan just shrugged.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“Fresh air!” Saylee exclaimed, stretching her arms up into the air.

“ _Cold_ air,” Blue pointed out, zipping his jacket up. “Maybe you should’ve just stayed in that warm hospital room all winter.”

“Boring, and I’d never get to wear these,” Saylee said, pulling her gloves on and starting to wrap her scarf around her neck. She blushed when Blue held her hair out of the way for her. “Thanks. That reminds me—I really need a haircut.”

“You’ve never had it long before,” Blue commented. “It looks really different.”

“It gets in the way,” Saylee grumbled. “Have you ever considered trying to tame this?” she added, ruffling one of his wild spikes of hair.

“I’d like to see the pair of scissors that could do it,” Blue declared, catching her hand and dragging her off towards the underground. “Come on, then. We’d better be at the Pokéathlon Dome for three, though. You’re going to go see Hernan, Carrie and Toby compete, right?”

“Of course I am!” Saylee said. “Honestly, I can’t wait. It’s been so long since I’ve seen any of my Pokémon being _active_ …” She squeezed his hand. “It’s so long since _I’ve_ been active! I got some good reading done and all, but it feels _so_ good to be out of that bed!”

“You’re certainly looking more energetic than when you got into it,” Blue said, grinning. “Though you’re still a pale, skinny little—”

Saylee put a hand over his mouth, and shrieked when he licked it. “Ewww!”

Blue grinned even wider. “You don’t mind that tongue so much when it’s—”

Saylee grabbed him and kissed him, more or less proving his point. She could feel sparks tingling all the way to her toes, energizing her even more. Kissing Blue felt perfect.

Until a small hand shoved her in the belly.

“You are both _disgusting_ ,” Silver informed her, pushing her and Blue apart. “C’mon, you guys are in _public_ , do you have to be this _gross_?”

“A boy should not be so rude to his elder sibling,” a voice said. Saylee heard it in her brain rather than her ears, telling her it was a psychic voice, but Blue frowned in confusion, suggesting that it wasn’t Adam. When she looked up, she saw a Kadabra standing in front of them, not an Alakazam. Silver scowled at him. Mag was floating around the Kadabra’s head, watching it warily.

“Will you stop _following_ me, you creep?” Silver demanded.

The Kadabra shook his head. “This one must attend upon you,” he insisted.

“ _We_ ’re with him,” Mag buzzed.

The Kadabra shook his head. “A Magneton obeys a boy, even if obedience is not to a boy’s benefit,” he said. “A boy is volatile, a boy is angry, and a boy will not be safe if he runs off alone.”

“I _get_ it, stop _following_ me!” Silver demanded. “And stop talking like a retard!”

“Watch your mouth, moment-killer,” Blue said, tugging Silver’s hair. “If you’re here too, maybe we should get you a haircut too. You look like a little girl with this hair.”

“If I want my hair cut, I’ll get Siren to do it,” Silver said sullenly. He followed Saylee and Blue nevertheless, possibly not wanting to be left alone with the Kadabra. “Can one of you tell this guy to stop following me?!”

“He’s not ours, we can’t command him,” Saylee said, looking to the Kadabra, who was also following. “What’s your name? Do you have a trainer?”

“This one is Alec,” the Kadabra said, bowing his head. “This one lives among the humans called Sonezaki. This one came to know the humans Sonezaki through their son the eldest, by the name of Bill.”

“Bill? I think he said something about the first Pokémon he made friends with being an Abra,” Blue commented. “Adam brought you up as well.”

“Adam is a mighty Alakazam and wasted on protecting a boy,” Alec said stiffly. “This one offered to take on the role in his place.”

“Thanks for calling me a waste of time,” Silver complained aloud. He was walking insistently between Saylee and Blue, possibly to ward off further grossness.

“Just watch your step. Most of the shops are back open but some of the lights on the steps are still broken,” Blue said, giving Silver a gentle push and rolling his eyes at Saylee. “We promise not to be gross if you promise to behave for the hairstylist.”

“Do I _need_ a stupid haircut?” Silver grumbled.

“C’mon, I’m going to get my hair cut really short,” Saylee said, tugging at her ponytail, “and if I do that and you keep your hair long I’ll look like your big brother and you my little sister.”

“Even with short hair, you don’t exactly look like a guy,” Blue said, putting an arm around Saylee’s shoulders. Silver shoved him in the side. “I wasn’t doing anything gross!”

“You were _gonna_ ,” Silver mumbled. “Maybe if it just gets a little shorter so it doesn’t get all tangled, ‘cause that’s really annoying.”

“ _Success_ ,” Saylee mouthed at Blue. Blue gave a longsuffering sigh.

{}

“These are _so_ comfy,” Saylee said, turning around and looking at the new jeans in the mirror. “How much are they?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” the owner insisted. “You two spearheaded the rescue of our entire city! Anything from the shop you want, on me.” He spread his arms, waving in the whole room. “How about a new jacket, too? That poor denim thing’s so cut and burned up—what about this lovely cotton blend cardigan…” he started picking things out, telling her about them.

“Did he say free clothes?” Blue said, perking up. “I’m gonna go find some stuff for my sister, something other than the same three dresses she keeps patching up. For that matter, I should grab something for Gramps, and…” he hurried off, reciting a list of Pallet citizens who could do with new clothes, which was all of them.

“That’s lovely,” Saylee said, trying on the pale green cardigan. She automatically reached up to flick her hair out of the neck of it, experiencing a moment of surprise when her hand just brushed over short hair. She smiled and briefly spiked it up before smoothing it down again while looking at the cardigan in the mirror. “Do you have it in purple? My mum would love it. And… thank you so much, but you’re probably going to regret offering us free clothes.”

“I’d rather you were raiding the shop than Team Rocket, at least you don’t smash the windows,” the owner laughed. “And what about your little brother? You look like you haven’t changed those clothes in a month, little guy.”

“And what’s wrong with that?” Silver said, crossing his arms. The nurses at the hospital had wanted to throw out his clothes while he was spending overnight there to have his arm checked up on, but he’d pitched a fit when they offered him new ones and had demanded his oversized trousers and tatty jumper back. One of the nurses had cleaned them and patched them up for him, but they still looked like he’d taken them out of a bin. “I like my clothes.”

“Five months is still a little… scaffy,” Mag put in. Silver glared at him.

“At least look at some things, maybe you’ll change your mind,” Saylee encouraged him, walking over to the children’s section. She didn’t look back to see if he was following; if she did, he’d stop out of pure contrariness. “What about this coat?”

“I don’t care,” Silver grumbled. “Black’s stupid.”

Pointedly not making any comment about the black jumper that he was clinging insistently to— _to be fair, it’s so faded that it’s more dark grey than black_ —Saylee picked through a few more items of clothing, getting from Silver only noncommittal grunts and mumbles about how he liked his old clothes.

“Tell you what, I’ll just get some things and you can decide if you like them,” Saylee said, picking out a couple of t-shirts from popular cartoons, some trousers and a purple jacket with red lining similar to the lining on Silver’s jumper.

“I don’t want your stupid freebies!” Silver said, snatching the clothes from her. “I’ll buy ‘em _myself_!” He stormed off towards the tills.

“He’s welcome to those free, too,” the owner told Saylee.

“I don’t think Silver likes being on the receiving end of free handouts,” Saylee said, digging in her bag. _Doesn’t seem to mind stealing things for himself, though…_

“Where’d he get the money, anyway?” Blue wanted to know, walking up with his arms full of clothing.

“I think he stole it out of my wallet while I was in the changing room,” Saylee sighed, staring at the lack of money in her wallet. She turned and picked up her own pile of clothes. “Okay, I think I’ll get these and a couple of t-shirts…”

“Oh, hey, you should check this out,” Blue said, nodding towards the shirt racks. “Have you seen, uh, oh, what’re they called, the guy with the puffy red hair and his Pidgeot?”

“That travelogue show?” Saylee said. “Yeah, I saw it in the hospital a few times. The last one I saw, they were somewhere in Hoenn, did you see it? The one with that _amazing_ -looking street market…”

“I think this t-shirt’s from the beach episode, that one seems pretty iconic,” Blue said, nodding towards the t-shirt. It was pale green and showed the Pidgeot from the show, a caustic character called Perry who relentlessly took the piss out of every locale that he and his trainer David went to while David gushed happily about it. The picture on the t-shirt, from an episode that Saylee hadn’t seen, showed Perry standing on a beach. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses perched on his beak, wings spread and head tipped up towards the sun. “Must be the sunglasses.”

“Must be,” Saylee agreed. “I don’t think I’ve seen this episode.” She smiled faintly, taking down one of the t-shirts and holding it up for size.

“You can just tell that snarky bastard knows how badass he looks in sunglasses,” Blue commented.

“Pedro would’ve looked way more badass,” Saylee said. “He never would’ve taken them off if he’d ever had sunglasses.” She draped the t-shirt over the cardigan slung over her arm. “Tell you what, I’ll get changed into some of this so I have new clothes for the dome this afternoon.”

“Are you done _yet_?” Silver whined. Saylee blinked at him. He was wearing one of the pairs of jeans that she’d picked out for him, along with the purple jacket. Mag was floating behind him, a couple of bags with the store’s logo hanging from his U-magnets. “Seriously, you guys are taking _forever_.”

“Looking sharp, kid,” Blue said, ruffling Silver’s hair. Silver ducked him with a frustrated expression. “I’m gonna bag these up. Think you can find anything for SG, Sila and her brothers? Mr. and Mrs. MacNeil, too. I’m not a Machamp, I can’t carry everyone’s stuff.” He walked off to the till.

“Yeah, but you _have_ a Machamp,” Saylee pointed out. “You’re right, Silver, I’m going to be late for the dome at this rate. I promise I’ll be quick.”

“Then stop talking and _go_!” Silver complained, fidgeting with the sleeves of his new clothes.

“We think your new clothes look good,” Mag put in. “You look more grownup now.”

“I’m not a _kid_ ,” Silver muttered. “I don’t need them.”

“But it’s nice of you to wait for them anyway,” Mag said brightly.

“Shut up, Mag.”

{}

“Lee! Leeleeleeleeleeleelee!”

“I’m glad to see you too, Toby,” Saylee laughed as Tobias hugged her. He pulled back and flew around her head.

“Where’d all your hair go?” he asked, fluffing at the short strands at the back of her head. Saylee rubbed her hands through it, making it spike up a little and then flattening it again.

“It’s easier to manage like this,” she said. She’d never had her hair this short; she’d never had a professional cut before, only a rough cut with a utility knife, but the stylist had given her a full wash, cut and style for free, talking all the while about how her Nidoking had saved his shop from Rockets trying to crack open the till. She was wearing her new clothes, too, blue jeans and a soft, dark blue cardigan over the t-shirt with the Pidgeot on it. Chaz gave her a fond smile as he neckhugged her.

“Tobes, you got tae be gettin’ oan,” Mary said, running up and hugging Saylee. All her hair spiked up. “Lookit you, hen! Go oan, Tobes, get oan. Else Nider’ll hae yer guts fae snazzy garters tae match ‘is hat.” Toby flew off. “Howzit gaun, Mag? Git over yer baw sickness?”

“I feel fine, thank you,” Mag said, nodding. Silver yelped. Whenever Mag spoke, because of all of the cloth shopping bags hanging from his magnets, static electricity sparked off of him, and while Silver’s hair was still long enough to brush at his shoulders it was now short enough to spike up noticeably. His fringe had been cut to keep it out of his face, at least. “I’m sorry!”

“It’s fine, just talk farther away from me!” Silver yelped, pawing down his hair. “What’s this freak?”

Georgia and Chip were walking up with a brown, bandy-legged Pokémon with no head, only two large eyes set into its armoured chest. Saylee gave her own Pokémon big hugs—Georgia nearly inadvertently crushed her, while Chip was more careful with his recently-hospitalized trainer—before clicking open her Pokédex to confirm that the third Pokémon was what she thought he was.

“You’re a _Hitmonlee_?” she said in amazement. “It’s an honour to meet you!”

“It’s an honour to meet the trainer who’s brought so much fire and joy to my brother Hernan,” the Hitmonlee said, reaching out to shake her hand. “My name is Horado.”

“You’re… Hernan’s brother?” Saylee said in delight.

“He’s got a brother?” Blue said curiously.

“We thought he didn’t anymore, we thought he’d been killed by T…” Saylee trailed off, glancing at Silver. While he’d been willing to visit her in hospital, he’d always storm out the moment she brought up Team Rocket. Luckily, he didn’t seem to be paying attention to her, instead making a beeline for a drinks machine, digging some change out of the pockets of his new purple jacket.

“He’d better be quick, we need to be in the dome in five minutes,” Chaz said, quickly changing the subject. “Blue’s team are holding seats for us.”

“Oh, I had best go as well, I’m on a team too,” Horado said. “It’s been wonderful to meet you!” He crouched, and then sprang into the air, powerful legs launching him to the opposite side of the hall and out of sight.

“Is there room for everyone to see?” Saylee asked Blue.

“There are pretty vast seated and standing areas, and events are displayed on the TVs that are all over the place,” Blue said, taking her hand and leading her towards a large entry door. “There’s enough space even for behemoths like Chaz and Sam to watch in the standing area.”

“Aye, when yer big yin here says they’re savin’ us seats,” Mary added, “he means they’re musclin’ oot a staunin’ space fae us right by the ringside. SILVER! ‘MON, WEE YIN! Mag, get his arse movin’!”

“I’ll come when I want to! Don’t you order me around!” Silver shouted back, staring intently at the drinks selection and, most likely, deliberately extending the time he took to choose.

“I’ll be leadin’ him t’the arena when he’s bein’ done,” Chip promised, turning and ambling back over to wait patiently next to the vending machine, asking Silver questions about Tyra.

“’Mon, I dinnae want tae miss the start,” Mary said, hurrying off.

Saylee was astonished by the tremendous size and scale of the Pokéathlon arena. Currently, it was set up as flat metal platform, roughly fifteen metres square and surrounded by a sloped ring of standing space and raised banks of seats. Four more platforms were set up inside the arena, one on each side of the main platform, with the trainers standing on top of them, surrounded by safety barriers, unlike the main platform. Saylee could easilypick out Nider, standing on the platform at the far side of the stadium from her. It was kind of funny to see the hulking Nidoking with his tail wrapped around himself to fit into a space designed for a  single human.

“Blue!” Pete called. He was circling around a certain spot and started swooping down over it.

“’Scuse me, trying to get to my friends here, move it,” Blue said, pushing through the crowd, growing increasingly irritated with the press of sports fans. Mary had already rushed on ahead, eager to see Tobias’ match.

“Let me, moy love,” Georgia said, pushing forwards. The crowds moved much more readily in front of four stony hands. Soon, they joined the bulky huddle of Sam, Gary, Edgar, Adam, Mario and Mary, while Pete and Chaz elected to fly a little way overhead. Quite a number of large flying Pokémon were flapping around the arena, many with viewing trainers on their backs. A couple of Pidgeotto were carrying video cameras, filming the action below.

“Hey, Pete, how about a lift for a better view?” Blue called up to his Pidgeot. “If you get onto Chaz’s back, you’ll be able to see way better,” he explained to Saylee. “You won’t block anyone’s view except the people at the very top back seats and, seriously, most of them just watch on screens anyway because they’re so damn far away from the arena that I honestly don’t know why they even come into the arena.”

“Fair enough,” Saylee said, reaching up for Chaz to pick her up. “Can everyone else see alright?”

“Oh, aye,” Mary said. “Well, in a mo. Gie’s a boost, Georgia?”

“’Ere y’go, moy love,” Georgia said, picking Mary up and putting her on top of her stony back.

“Ta,” Mary said, leaning down and hugging Georgia before straightening up to peer intently at the arena. “There’s Tobes!”

“Where?” Saylee asked, just as Chaz picked her up. She clambered over his shoulder and onto his back. He wasn’t wearing a flight harness, but she figured she’d be fine. He wasn’t going to be moving that far or doing any dodging, after all.

She looked back to the arena and spotted Tobias, Carrie and Hernan standing on the edge of the platform closest to Nider. They were wearing red bandanas on their foreheads. Horado was in the team directly opposite them, along with a Machoke and, to Saylee’s surprise, the human black belt who trained them, all wearing blue bandanas. _This guy takes training with his Pokémon to the extreme,_ Saylee thought, remembering what she’d seen of the Pokéathlon on TV. The events were designed with the greater strength, speed and stamina of Pokémon in mind, and many of them were actually dangerous to humans to compete in. _I wonder how he convinced them to let him compete. This is way more dangerous than letting Nider wear a hat and command a team._

To the left of Nider, Saylee recognized Jasmine, the shy but dangerous trainer from Olivine, along with her Steelix Olly, wearing yellow. Flanking Olly were Mic and Mac, Jasmine’s Magnemite; one of them had actually evolved into a Magneton, though Saylee had no idea which.

Saylee knew nobody in the fourth team. It was commanded by a young man with spiky green hair and a team consisting of a Quagsire, a Wobbuffet and an Ursaring. This team was dressed in green.

“Lee! LEE!”

Saylee twisted around to look down at the crowd. She could see Chip and Tyra trying to push their way through, with Silver in their wake. Mag, Gareth and Zeb were all floating over his head. “Chaz, can you fly back a little so I can give Silver a lift up?” Saylee asked. “So he can see too, y’know.”

“Sure,” Chaz said. “But the first time he calls anyone a cripple, I’m dropping him.”

“I’ll be sure to let him know,” Saylee said, leaning over Chaz’s neck and extending a hand downwards. “Silver! Do you want to ride on Chaz’s back with me? You’ll be able to see better!”

“Who says I want to see?” Silver called back. Saylee rolled her eyes.

“You’re here, aren’t you?” she said. “Come on up… unless you’re too scared to ride on a Charizard’s back?”

“Yeah, right! What kind of weakling do you take me for?” Silver yelled, reaching up to take Chaz’s outreached claw. Chaz lifted him up so he could reach Saylee’s hand, which he let go of as soon as possible. He settled himself on Chaz’s neck, a little way in front of Saylee. “Hey, Siren! You wanna see?”

“What makes you think I want to sit up there on that blast furnace?” Siren said, running up Tyra’s back. “Hey, Ty, can I sit on your head? I can? Awesome. You’re a pal.”

“You’re a pest,” Tyra responded, shouldering forwards and grabbing a spot next to Sam. Chip squeezed in between Georgia and Gary. “Has it started yet?”

“In a moment,” Blue called. “We made it with time to spare. Give the guys a wave!”

“Toby!” Saylee shouted. Tobias spotted her and started waving furiously. Carrie and Hernan also gave her a wave. “Good luck! I know you’ll win! You always do!”

“Of course they’ll win, they’re the best damn ‘mons in here!” Nider shouted back. “Even Toby could take out half the stadium with his eyes shut, couldn’t ya, little guy?” He then flicked one of his claws off of his horn in the direction of the green-haired trainer diagonally across from him. “He’d knock _you_ idiots out in his sleep!”

“Keep talkin’ trash, if it’s all you’re good for,” the trainer shouted back.

“Don’t just _talk_ trash, fight already!” Silver shouted. Saylee stared at him. “What? It’s no use talking trash if you’re not actually going to kick someone’s ass. It just makes you weak, trying to look like you’re strong when you’re not. Why aren’t they fighting yet?”

“This isn’t an outright fight,” Saylee said. “It’s—”

“ _LLLLADIES, GENTLEMEEEEN AAAAND OOOOTHEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRR! WELCOME TO THE POKEATHLON DOME’S STAMINA CUP!”_

The crowd broke into wild cheering. Saylee spotted the commentator sitting on a Fearow’s back, hovering directly over the platform. She couldn’t see him clearly, aside from that he was wearing white. He started shouting out team names and members, with fans cheering up a storm for each one. Saylee joined in the euphoric shouting when “Team Nider” was called.

“Ceez, pop my eardrums, why don’t you,” Silver grumbled, slamming his hands over his ears. “Why’re you shrieking like a Zubat?”

“I’m cheering, Silver,” Saylee said, having to shout over the uproar around her. “To support my Pokémon. Got to be loud in this cacophony.”

“C’mon, like they don’t already know you support them,” Silver complained. “I bet they know fine without you screaming like a moron.”

Saylee smiled and patted his shoulder. She quickly dropped her hand when he stiffened a little. Still, she hoped she’d managed to communicate that she appreciated what he had just said. She turned her attention back to the announcer.

“ _ARE-YOU-READAAAY?!”_ he shouted into his microphone. “ _THEN IT’S TIIIME TO POOOOOKEATHLOOON!”_


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

Carrie spun her club around in her hands and then held it up to block as Olly’s tail was swung towards her. Steel met bone with a resounding _crash_ that sounded as if it should have knocked Carrie out of the stadium, but she held her ground. Olly’s tail shook as he tried to push her out of the arena and score his team some points.

“Come on Olly, you can push her off, I know you can!” Jasmine roared. She had transformed again, into a loud, passionate, vicious coach who was putting Olly’s bulk to full effect in the sumo contest.

“Try an’ lift the bugger up an’ get under ‘im!” Nider yelled. Carrie shifted her stance, trying to move her club around to lever up Olly’s tail. Across the arena, the black belt was trying to wrestle a Wobbuffet over the edge, but the Wobbuffet was firmly rooted to the ground and was trying to throw him off instead. The black belt dropped to the ground and kicked hard at Wobbuffet’s tail. The sturdy blue Pokémon howled, hopping up into the air, allowing the human to fling it hard over his shoulder at Olly’s head. Olly was momentarily thrown off-balance, and Carrie took the opportunity to whack him over the edge with her club. Olly and Wobbuffet both went down, and the red team’s score shot up.

“What a crock! Master, you ought to get some points for that Wobbuffet!” the other trainer of the martial arts team yelled.  “Watch out, he’s replacing it with Quagsire!”

“Mac, go for the human!” Jasmine bellowed. Her Magneton made for the black belt. Ranged attacks were not permitted in the sumo match, so Mac had no choice but to shove—and he wasn’t a fraction of Olly’s strength. A rescue Pidgeot began circling below them in case the human fell. The drop wasn’t far, nothing to a Pokémon, but humans were more fragile. Saylee had to wonder how he was approved to be in the arena with Pokémon.

“Swap out!” Nider ordered. Carrie ran back to the red corner and flopped to the ground, looking a little worn out. Hernan ran out to take her place. “Get that Quagsire!”

“Carrie could’ve taken out that Magneton easy,” Silver said. “It’s weak compared to her. Why didn’t she?”

“Because that Magneton’s weak, but Olly is really, really strong,” Saylee said, watching the competitors wrestle back and forth. “Time’s running out. If they fill up the floor with the weakest contenders, then Hernan can get a good chunk of points right before time runs out.”

The black belt managed to fling Mac out of bounds, and then ran back to his corner for his Machoke to switch out. Mic had to take Mac’s place, as the rules dictated that each team had to switch through all three members. Mic was immediately intercepted by the Quagsire.

“Five seconds, here we go!” Saylee said. The crowd started to chant along with the countdown. “FIVE! FOUR! THREE!”

Hernan went for the Quagsire from behind, pushing it and Mic both over the edge.

“TWO! ONE!”

The Machoke, however, evidently had the same plan. It tackled Hernan from behind and pushed him over the edge too.

“ZERO! THAT’S THE MATCH, FOLKS!” the announcer bellowed. The sunken floor rose up to the podium, carrying Mic, the Quagsire and Hernan back up to the same level of the others. Hernan looked sheepish, but Carrie and Tobias gave him a hug and it looked like Nider was encouraging him. Hernan’s fall had cost them some points, but one look at the scoreboard indicated that they were still ahead by a little. Saylee joined in the cheering proudly.

“Ceez, so they pushed some people over, big deal,” Silver complained. “How is this fun?”

“Nobody gets hurt,” Saylee said happily. “Not really hurt. And nobody dies. It’s just… for fun.”

“Saylee, you’ll wanna watch this,” Blue called. “They’re changing the arena! You’ve never seen it, right?”

Saylee turned her attention back to the arena. All of the competitors and trainers had moved to the podium, while the floor around it had sunken away again. There was a lot of mechanical rumbling from the darkness below the stadium. Then a new floor rose up, a dirt track around the central podium. The red dirt had random boulders and patches of gravel strewn across it. There was a white starting line at one point around the track, and Tobias, Mic, the Machoke and the Ursaring lined up in front of it.

“The track changes every time, too,” Chaz said. “It’s always a different arrangement, so even experienced teams can’t get a handle on how to run it. Well, that’s the idea, I guess. The games are still a new thing, so there still aren’t any really properly experienced or professional teams yet, though that guy with the green hair turns up a lot.”

“His Pokémon got thrown around by a human, he’s not that great,” Silver grumbled.

“READY, SET, AND GO!” the announcer bellowed. A countdown began on the main screen and the Pokémon set off running—or rather, in the case of Tobias and Mic, flying. The gravel patches didn’t bother them as much, but at one point Mic didn’t see a boulder until it was too late and hit it pretty hard, and it took him longer to get back in the air than it took the runners to get back on their feet. Jasmine switched him out for Olly a few minutes later. Nider called back Tobias and replaced him with Carrie shortly after. Going at high speed around such a crowded obstacle course looked taxing, and most teams switched frequently. Nider had everyone crowded by the start line and switching out every lap, while Jasmine and the green-haired guy switched when a team member tired out. The dojo team switched extremely rarely, generally only when someone had hit a boulder hard.

“He keeps switching even though they’re not tired,” Silver commented. “They could keep going, y’know.”

“But then they’d tire out,” Saylee pointed out. “This way they’re all running on high energy, all the time. I’m kind of impressed with Nider. I had no idea he was such a strategist.”

“Just makes it all look really easy,” Silver grumbled. “’S _boring_. Not proper arena fighting.”

“Strictly speaking, it’s sports, not fighting,” Saylee said. “What do you mean, ‘proper’ arena fighting, anyway?”

The second half of her question was drowned out by a roar from the crowd as the announcer read out the rankings. Team Jasmine had narrowly pulled the most laps over Team Nider, with Team Chet in third and Team Koichi, the dojo team, lagging a little in fourth.

“ALLLLRIIIGHT, EVERYBODY!” the announcer bellowed. “AAAARE YOU READAAAY FOR THE THIRD! AND! FINAL! ROOOOUND? BLOOOOOOCK SMAAAAAASH!” The crowd cheered up a storm as the track fell away and more sheet-steel floor rose up to make the arena floor uniform. Four square sections fell away and rose up again with stacked concrete slabs on them.

“Smash ten, and the floor drops away and comes up with ten more,” Chaz said. “Takes a few seconds. Whoever smashes the most wins.”

“Simple enough,” Saylee said, watching Hernan step up to the stack first. Olly, the Ursaring and, surprisingly, Kiyo, did likewise.

“Check it out, they’re gonna smash shit!” Gareth shouted with far too much enthusiasm.

“Watch your language, we’re in public!” Saylee shouted back.

“Nobody can hear him anyway!” Silver yelled, leaning forward and craning over Chaz’s neck to see. The starting team members were raising their fists—or, in Olly’s case, tail—over the tops of their stacks.

“READY! AND! BLOOOOCK _SMASH_!” the announcer bellowed. There was an echoing, resounding _crack_ as all four teams started smashing at the concrete.

Kiyo and Ursaring both went for rapid-fire punches that cracked a slab at a time. Hernan wasn’t going for rapid-fire, but he was still fast, his punches smashing several slabs at a time. Olly simply raised his tail high and smashed through the entire stack in a single blow. He was immensely powerful, but _slow._ All teams seemed to progress at a fairly even pace to start with, but as the slight discrepancies in their paces began to show up, noticeable gaps appeared.

Kiyo was the first to tire, replaced by his Machoke. The Ursaring followed shortly thereafter; rapid-fire evidently wasn’t easy to keep up. The dopy-looking Quagsire didn’t look like she’d be a rapid-fire puncher, but she was almost as fast as Ursaring. Olly just kept steadily smashing whole piles; he didn’t look apt to tire any time soon, and Saylee suspected that he would be able to breeze through this contest with no fatigue whatsoever.

As in the relay, Hernan, Carrie and Tobias switched after every pile. Tobias was a powerful psychic, but his physical strength was nowhere near on a par with his parents and he plowed through his piles more slowly. Hernan and Carrie smashed through their piles quickly enough, though, and Team Nider was the only team not to lose time due to teammates flagging from fatigue.

“I think they’re ahead!” Saylee said excitedly, glancing up at the scoreboard. Unlike in the other rounds, however, it didn’t display a count. The slabs must have been vanishing too fast to be counted until the end.

“I dunno,” Silver said, squinting. “They’re too far away.”

“Oh, come on,” Gareth complained. “We’re right _next_ to the damn—”

“FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE! AAAAND THAT’S IT!” the announcer yelled. All four pads dropped, taking away the last whole slabs. The teams all huddled together, various members hugging or back-slapping each other. The announcer and his Fearow flew down to the centre of the arena. “AAAARE YOU READAAAY FOR…. _THE RESULTS?!”_

The crowd cheered wildly. Various chants for favourite teams started up. “ALLLLRIGHTY THEN! FIRST… THE POINTS BONUS FOOOOOR…”

“This is always tenser than the actual rounds,” Chaz said. “The bonus points can be a bit unpredictable, even if you’ve won all the rounds on points…”

“Yeah, Jasmine’s winning right now,” Saylee said, nervously watching the points on the screen scroll up. Team Nider was in third for bonus points, but then quickly moved up to second when the rounds started to be totalled up. They were more or less on even points when it came to the block smash. “Come on… come _on_ …”

Team Koichi’s points stopped scrolling first, then Team Chet’s clicked to a halt. Then Team Jasmine’s.

“AAAAAND THE WIIIINNERS AAAARE…” the announcer declared as the last points clicked into place, “THE AAAALL-POKÉMON WONDEEEER, TEEEEAAAAMMM NIDEEEEEERRR!”

“WOOHOO!” Saylee screamed, waving madly to them. “WELL DONE, GUYS!”

“Stop jumping around, you fucking retard!” Silver yelped angrily.

Saylee settled down, gripping his shoulder. “Sorry, did I nearly knock you off?” she said.

“You nearly fell off there,” Chaz pointed out. “Can you sit back a little? My neck’s at a really awkward angle to keep you on.”

“Sorry,” Saylee said, leaning back and dragging Silver with her. “You okay?”

“I’m _fine_ , just stop being demented!” he complained.

“I will when you stop calling people retards,” Saylee said. “That’s not nice and you know it.”

“So who says I need to be nice?” Silver grumbled.

“It’ll make people more inclined to be nice to you,” Saylee said. “C’mon, Chaz, they’re leaving the arena, let’s go meet up with them and congratulate them!”

“Let’s drop down and wait with the others, first,” Chaz said, swooping down towards the larger group of Pokémon. “There’ll be a huge crush at the exit.” Saylee looked back and saw that he was right; the exits from the arena were utterly mobbed, whereas there was already enough free space for Chaz to land by the railing at the front. As soon as he touched down, Silver yelled impatiently for Tyra to get him down.

“Hey, Silver?” Saylee asked, climbing down from Chaz’s back as Tyra set Silver down. “You said you’d seen arena fights before?”

“Yeah, well… dad had a couple of arenas. In the back, y’know,” Silver said, looking down at the mention of Giovanni. “There were fights in there all the time. Most of the time, they’d throw two Pokémon in and not let them out until one was dead. The winner got to live. They trained some really crazy strong Pokémon that way.”

“Emphasis on crazy, I’m thinking,” Tyra said. “That’s horrible. Did you watch them?”

“Mum made me, sometimes,” Silver said, fidgeting with pushing his new fringe back and forth rather than looking at them. “She wanted me to learn about being strong. The weak die and the strong live, that’s the way it should be.”

“So you think I should’ve died the first time I lost to Chip?” Tyra demanded.

“Of course not, idiot!” Silver shouted angrily. “ _You’re_ not weak. Don’t be stupid.”

“So you don’t think Pokémon should die just for losing?” Saylee asked sternly.

Silver shifted uncomfortably. “Why _didn’t_ you kill them?” he asked. “I mean… they _lost_.”

Saylee stared. “Why should I kill them?” she asked.

“It’s what normal people do,” Silver insisted.

“Shit, does he really think that?” Blue said, staring at Silver. “Oh, yeah, you grew up around Team Jerkoff. Listen, kid, they are not normal. Pretty much nobody kills for fun, or for sport. Hell, look at how many people show up to this thing.” He waved at the people filing out of the exit doors. “They like this stuff because nobody ever gets seriously hurt. Even in Kanto, where everyone’s killed at some time in their life for food… there’s a difference between killing because you’re starving and killing because you think it’s fun. Only psychopaths find fun in killing. Get enough psychos in one place and you get Team Rocket, but they’re not normal and they’re not right.”

“Are you serious?” Silver said, staring at Blue. “I mean… I thought you were a wimpy freak because you let Tyra go.”

“I am eternally grateful that I am not the only person in the world that does that,” Saylee said, putting a hand on Silver’s shoulder. “Silver… if anyone ever kills your Pokémon, it’s not okay. It’s not normal, and it’s not right.”

“His _mother_ tried to kill me,” Tyra said, spitting the word _mother_ in a way that suggested she’d much rather be using a different word entirely. “She said it was to teach Silver a lesson.”

“She’d’ve done it, too,” Silver muttered. “Like she killed Pike.”

“Pike?” Saylee asked. Silver shifted uncomfortably, refusing to look anywhere near her.

“…He was my Pidgey,” Silver said. “I caught him myself. Not even with a pokéball or anything, with my hands, and I fed him and trained him and got him to ride around on my shoulder and we beat _tons_ of wild Pokémon. Only I got stupid and thought he was properly strong even though he hadn’t evolved yet. I showed off about how tough he was, and Mum said if he was so strong I needed to prove it and put him in a pit with a Rhyhorn.” He ground his heel into the ground. “Like that.”

“ _Whit_ ,” Mary said flatly, her tail sparking. The others all muttered various curses and declarations of hate.

“Son of a Spearow…” Pete snarled, fluffing up his crest massively. Blue reached up and put his hand gently on his Pidgeot’s beak, though he was grimacing and Saylee could hear him grinding his teeth.  

“Silver, I know I say this a lot, but I’m going to keep saying it because it bears repeating and I know it can be hard to acknowledge,” Saylee said, squeezing Silver’s shoulder, “but your mother was wrong. I know she’s your mum, but she was wrong. You’re her son. Any time she hurt you like that, _she was wrong_.”

“Yeah, that ain’t right,” Gareth agreed, scowling. “Where’s she locked up? I can get in her head while she’s sleeping and make her never want to sleep again—”

“Don’t!” Silver said sharply. “Just… don’t. Okay?” He pulled away from Saylee and walked off. “C’mon. The doors are clear. Let’s _go_ already.” Gareth floated after him, looking unusually serious. Zeb and Mag exchanged unsettled looks.

“I wish I’d ripped that woman’s throat out when              I had the chance,” Tyra snarled.

“That wouldn’t been right either, t’be murderin’ her like that,” Chip remonstrated her. “’Specially in front o’ Silver.”

“What if I did it now, while he’s not watching?” Tyra suggested. “It wouldn’t be murder if I ate her whole, right? You said there’s a difference between murder and killing for food.”

“Yeah, but you don’t want to kill her because you’re hungry, do you?” Saylee said. “You want to kill her because you hate her. I feel the same way.”

“It’s not right,” Tyra muttered, heading off after Silver. Saylee sighed. Blue squeezed her hand.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“What for?” Saylee asked, staring at him.

“You know what,” Blue said, looking down. “You know who.”

“Paul… Eliza…” Saylee gripped Blue’s hand. “You didn’t want to kill them, and you sure as hell didn’t do it because you _enjoyed_ it. You feel guilty… that makes a difference, that you feel that way. People like _them_ don’t.”

“I found those pits he was talking about,” Blue said softly as they walked through the exit doors. “There were… remains. We piled them all into one pit and burned them while Carrie and some of the other Marowak prayed for them. They were all crying by the end. Said they’d taken in a lot of pain and sorrow to give those souls release…” he ground his teeth again. “There was a lot of other junk we burned in another pit. Whips and shit. You don’t want to hear about it.”

“And I don’t think you want to talk about it,” Saylee agreed. Blue nodded.

“Just… Ceez, I just thought that kid was a little jerk,” he muttered. “But the more he talks, the more I wonder which of his parents was more of a twisted fuck. My first thought would’ve been Giovanni, but it doesn’t sound like he was involved much.”

“No, I wouldn’t really expect him to be,” Saylee said scornfully. “It doesn’t seem to be his area… not that Arianna seems to be much good at it.”

“I think that kid’s lucky to have a sister like you,” Blue said, letting go of Saylee’s hand and putting his arm around her waist, hugging her. “You’re willing to put up with the little jerk.”

“Yeah, well, I’m used to dealing with jerks,” Saylee said, elbowing him and grinning.

“In here!” Mary said, darting past them and pushing open a prep room door. “Tobes! Braw show!” Tobias flew over to hug her, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Saylee! You were here! Did you see?” he said excitedly, zipping over to hug Saylee.

Saylee hugged him back, grinning. “I saw,” she said. “You guys were _brilliant_. Well done!”

“Yeah, it was kinda cool,” Silver agreed. He made a sour face when Saylee smiled at him.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“So, why didn’t you tell me you were a strategy genius?” Saylee asked Nider.

Nider turned his attention away from Zeb, Pete and Tobias’ attempt to corner Gareth somewhere in the air and stop him throwing random shadow balls at them. “A what now?” he asked. “Ain’t nobody called me an anythin’ genius before.”

“Strategy, dumbass,” Siren commented lazily. She was dozing on top of an ice floe that she’d formed on the National Park fountain. Silver was sitting on the edge of the fountain next to her, watching all of his Pokémon laze around with Saylee’s and Blue’s, chatting and napping, with an inscrutable expression on his face. Saylee was leaning against Blue’s side as they sat on a bench nearby, sharing a box of chips with a pot of ketchup. It was pleasantly warm. “It means planning.”

“Yeah, how you switched everyone regularly instead of letting them wear out,” Chaz commented. He wasn’t helping the other fliers chase Gareth through the air, although he did occasionally spit a small, white-hot fireball at Gareth any time he came too close. Sam would then casually extinguish the fireballs with a jet of water before they set fire to any of the greenery that filled the park. She seemed to be enjoying the random patterns of the fountain.

“I dunno, I went with it ‘cause that’s how Lee battles a lot,” Nider said with a shrug. “When we’re trainin’, y’know? She always heals us up or switches us out anytime we get a bit hurt ‘stead of waitin’ ‘til we really need it.”

“Seems kinda wussy,” Silver said. Edgar, who was trailing some of his leaves in the fountain, shifted a little and somehow managed to shower Silver with a spray of water. “HEY!”

“Don’t be a jerk,” Blue said without looking at either his Exeggutor or the kid, making it unclear which of them he was talking to. “Sounds like you’re way more cautious these days,” he said to Saylee.

“I wasn’t nearly cautious enough when I started training,” Saylee admitted, watching Georgia rock sleepily in the sunlight. “Made too many dumb mistakes, like letting Geoff try and fight an Oddish. He was a Geodude. Never a Graveller.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Chaz said. “He talked weird, too. Must be living underground that does it.”

“What were that, moy love?” Georgia said sharply, apparently not nearly asleep after all. She cracked an eye open, then glared upwards as Pete and Tobias yelled furiously at Gareth for something. Carrie and Hernan had been sitting and leaning against each other’s backs near her, but Carrie got up and flung her bone into the air, _thwacking_ Gareth as soon as he materialized.

“Alright, knock it off or I _will_ exorcise you, unspent energies or not,” she said threateningly. “And Tobias… I don’t ever want to hear you using such language again.”

“Sorry, Mum,” Tobias said sheepishly, flying down and settling next to Mary. Gareth sniggered, then yelped and turned pink. “You shut up,” Tobias muttered, his eyes glowing pink as well.

“Just ignore ‘im, Tobes, wanks like him arenae worth it,” Mary said, flicking her tail. “Ooft, check it! Some’dy’s got a call comin’ in!”

“What?” Saylee said, just as Blue’s pokégear rang.

“Hi?” he said, picking up. “Oh, yeah, I remember. Is that so? Okay, then, when? Right. Got it. See you then.” He hung up. “How’d you know that, Mary?”

“Felt it comin’ it,” Mary said, twitching her tail. “Huh. Been able tae feel ‘hings like that loads these days. I kinda like livin’ ‘roon all this ‘leccy, but it’s a bit much tae, got tae admit.”

“What was the call about, anyway, Blue?” Saylee asked, picking out one of the larger chips and dipping it in the ketchup pot.

“Oh, well, y’know how they’re rebuilding that old train line through the mountains?” Blue said. “Yeah, well, they were advertising for tough trainers to protect the supply groups leaving from Goldenrod. Offered pretty good money, too, so I signed up and they promised they’d call the next time they’re planning to send out a supply group. Turns out that there’s some major snows predicted for this winter, so the one leaving in three days is the last one going for the winter, so, uh…”

“You can’t miss that,” Saylee said, leaning up at him and passing him a chip. “It’s fine. I understand. You need to go back and protect everyone for the winter, and I’ll stay here and start looking for Red as soon as it starts snowing. What’re they paying you in?”

“Cash, normally, but I was able to get them to pay in food that stores well and some of that really _nice_ Chansey-egg medicine,” Blue said in between bites of chip.

“Finally, your innate talent for being annoying has been turned into a force for good,” Saylee joked. “Carrie, Hernan, what are your plans? Last year, you were really worried about missing the Langnicht rituals at Lavender…”

“Yes, you’re the head of the clan now,” Hernan said thoughtfully. “You definitely can’t miss it this year. I can’t wait to see the rituals, truth be told, if I’m allowed to.”

“I’m the head of the clan, and I say yes,” Carrie said, kissing Hernan on the cheek. “We’ll have to go back with Blue. Chaz, are you going back for the Charmander project?”

“Actually, Blue, can you tell them that I’m up for the project, but not until spring?” Chaz asked. “Learning to raise a bunch of ‘manders is probably going to be challenging enough without having to deal with it being cold, dark and almost constantly rainy. They can’t go forward without my DNA, and I’m not giving my consent for them to try and dig up some ‘zard bones from Mt Moon without my being there too.”

“Fair enough,” Blue said, throwing Chaz a thumbs-up. “I’ll tell them. Are you staying here?”

“I want to help look for Red and Ben,” Chaz said firmly.

“I hope Ben’s alright,” Sam said sadly. “If it gets cold enough to _snow_ here… he’s a grass-type. They don’t do well in the cold.”

“Oh, I can’t _wait_ to see snow again,” Siren said with relish. “I haven’t seen it since I was a kitten. It doesn’t really tend to reach Cianwood.”

Silver reached out and scratched her ears, making her purr. “So why didn’t your dumbass trainer ever, I dunno, go on holiday somewhere it snows?” he asked.

“’Cause he’s a dumbass,” Siren said flippantly. “ _Duh.”_

“Are you guys going to stay with your new relatives or something?” Blue asked Saylee, reaching for one of the larger chips. Saylee stole it from him.

“Well, Helen… our grandmother… she said we’re welcome to stay in Mahogany with them,” Saylee said, digging it into the ketchup. “You’ll definitely like it, Siren. Our grandfather’s an ice master. He’s got some kind of permanent iceberg setup in his dojo.”

“Silver, tell me we’re going there,” Siren said immediately. “I don’t care if we have to put up with idiot patrol here. Oh, please?”

“Why not,” Silver said with a shrug, not looking up. “I’ve got nowhere better to go.”

“Hey, there’s more ‘leccy comin’,” Mary commented, looking around. Something leapt out of a bush.

“Hello, just when you least expect it!” a man yelled. He was short, squat and balding, and was holding a camera aloft. “I am Cameron the photographer! You are miss Saylee, right? Can I have a photo for the Daily News?” He started clicking away without waiting for permission.

“Aw dammit, it’s this jackass again!” Blue yelled, leaping to his feet and grabbing Saylee’s hand to pull her to hers. Chips went flying. “Pete, the camera! Everyone else SHIFT!” He started returning all of his Pokémon while running. Saylee did likewise.

“What just happened?” she asked, running along with Blue. Cameron the photographer was yelling at Pete to give his camera back.

“I caught this freak trying to break into the hospital while you were laid up,” Blue said. “I wouldn’t give a damn if he could just _ask_ like a normal human being, but he keeps turning up in the creepiest, randomest places like some kind of stalker or something.”

“Silver?” Saylee called, looking over her shoulder. Silver was running after them with Mag hovering over his shoulder.

“Mag sparked the guy’s camera, so it won’t work anymore,” Silver said, puffing a little as he tried to keep up with Saylee and Blue. Saylee extended her other hand to him. Silver stared at it for a moment, before reaching out and grabbing her sleeve. “Hurry up, if we’ve only got three more days here, I really wanna go see a movie in an actual cinema. If you two drag me to some lovey-dovey crap, I’m running away and not coming back.”

{}

“And that was Wyatt Wills playing _The River Flows In You,_ and I’ll be back in an hour with the _Pokémon March_. Until then, here’s everyone’s new favourite, _Try_ by…”

“What is all this?” Silver asked, reaching up to one of the dials on the soundboard. The techie grabbed Silver’s hand.

“Sorry, kid, you can’t touch this stuff until Mr Wills is disconnected,” he said. Silver snatched his hand away, glowering at the man. The tech turned back to his work, fading up a rock ballad over the last notes of piano music. “Alright, you’re off!”

“Cool!” Wyatt got up from his piano and stretched walking through the door between the sound room and the control booth and giving Saylee a hug. He was extremely tall and lanky, with curly dark-red hair and a lot of freckles. “Hey, cuz. So, like the music?”

“I love music,” Saylee said, surprised by the warm hug but hugging back. “When I got to Johto, I started listening to this channel all the time. I never realized it was my cousin playing those beautiful piano solos!”

“Thanks! Hey, little guy,” Wyatt said, ruffling Silver’s hair. “So I’m not the only ginge in the family now?”

“Your hair’s curly, it looks stupid and girly,” Silver said jerking away.

“Cool, you’re a poet. Well, I’m on radio, I don’t need to look pretty,” Wyatt laughed. “Hey, Craig? We’re just going down to the canteen for some coffee, can you page me five minutes or something before I’m on?”

“Go on, then,” the techie said, pressing an intercom button. “Hey, Cam, where the hell’s the weather report?”

“C’mon, this way,” Wyatt said, leading them down the hall. The Radio Tower looked completely different from when Saylee had last been inside; the furniture had been rearranged so the potted plants and soft sofas were all upright, people were smiling instead of screaming and there were friendly security guards instead of attacking Rockets. They passed the viewing window for DJ Ben’s recording booth on the way. Whitney was standing in front of it, practically glued to the glass and twirling a lock of her hair around her finger while staring at the admittedly very attractive DJ Ben. Saylee said hello, and while Whitney didn’t look up or speak she did wave to acknowledge her. “So where’s your boyfriend?” Wyatt asked Saylee.

“He’s n—he’s leaving tomorrow morning and he had to stop by the train station and find out exactly what time he needs to be there,” Saylee said as they walked down the stairs and through to the canteen. “So we came to finally see you play! Thanks for giving a shout out to me while I was in the hospital, by the way.”

“Because that wasn’t lame or cheesy at all,” Silver complained, hopping up onto a seat at an empty table in the canteen. It was a small room with a window into the kitchen where food could be ordered, six tables with six chairs at each of them, and a speaker quietly playing the music channel. The walls were mostly covered in signed pictures of various stars who’d worked at the radio station, some going back over three centuries judging by the dates. “I’m hungry. You’re buying, right, ginge? Get me a sandwich or something.”

“No please, so I’m picking a flavour for you and you can bet it’ll be gross,” Wyatt said, grinning at Saylee. “What’s your poison, cuz?”

“If they have Lavaridge tea, I’m getting addicted to that stuff,” Saylee said. “Someday, I need to find out where Lavaridge is and discover their secret.”

“Tea, got it. Check this employee discount!” Wyatt got up and went over to the kitchen hatch. Saylee sat across from Silver.

“Do you want to hang out with him tonight?” Saylee asked Silver. “While Blue and I are out?”

“Do I _have_ to?” Silver complained. “He’s annoying.”

“You find everyone annoying,” Saylee pointed out. “And you find Blue and I ‘icky’, and since tonight is the last time we’re going to see each other for a few months…”

“You’re going to be extra-icky, yeah, yeah,” Silver grumbled. “Everyone _is_ annoying. I’m just more used to your annoying, is all.”

“Tea for you, fizz for you and joe for me,” Wyatt said, sitting down and handing out drinks. “What’s up?”

“I know you two haven’t really met before, so would you be up for looking after Silver tonight while I’m out with Blue?” Saylee asked Wyatt.

“Sure,” he said, blowing on his coffee. “You’ve got a prickly rep, kiddo, and I see it’s not unearned, but _everyone_ has their music and I promise we will find yours.”

“Don’t leave me alone with this nutter,” Silver begged Saylee.

“It’s just for one night,” Saylee promised, stirring some milk into her tea. “In the morning, I’ll pick you up and we’ll head for Mahogany. You up for that?”

“You’d better not go without me,” Silver said threateningly. “I’ll hunt you down if you leave me behind.”

“Wow, _somebody’s_ got abandonment issues,” Wyatt observed. “Don’t worry, kiddo. If she runs off without you, I will make sure that the music channel plays nothing buuuuuuuuut….” He looked critically at Saylee for a moment. “Synth dance beats.”

“You are pure, molten evil, is it in the red hair?” Saylee groaned. “You hear that, Silver? He knows I love that channel and he intends to fill it with hell itself. There’s no way I’ll leave you behind.” She smiled. “I promise I wouldn’t anyway, though. I won’t leave you behind if you don’t want me to.”

“Why should I care what you do?” Silver grumbled. “Where’s my food?”

“Oh, ceez, where is my brain?” Wyatt gasped, jumping to his feet. “Be right back!” He ran off again to the hatch. A few more people had wandered into the canteen and queued up at the kitchen hatch before he got there.

“Silver, have you been to see your mother in jail?” Saylee asked quietly. “She’s being held in city until the trial. It’s taking a while, there’s a lot of Rockets to sentence…”

“I don’t want to see her,” Silver said firmly. “I really don’t.”

“Are you sure?” Saylee asked gently. “I mean, you don’t have to. She’s an awful person, but as you’ve said, she _is_ still your mum. Are you sure there isn’t anything you want to say to her?”

“She’s never listened to anything I say anyway, what would be the point?” Silver muttered, staring into his can of fizzy juice. “I don’t care, anyway. She always lied to me. Never kept her promises, both of them were always running off for Rocket stuff and leaving me behind…”

“Silver, I’m not your mum,” Saylee pointed out.

“Well, _duh_ ,” Silver said, rolling his eyes.

“Which means that when I say I’ll pick you up at seven tomorrow so we can both see Blue off, I mean that I’ll be back at seven tomorrow to pick you up so we can see Blue off and head for Mahogany,” Saylee promised. “Okay?”

“You’re a liar,” Silver grumbled. “Why should I trust you?”

“Here you go, brat,” Wyatt said, returning and tossing a sandwich to Silver. “What’s going on?”

“Tell you what,” Saylee said, unclipping the bag of eight pokéballs from her belt. “Wyatt, why don’t you hang onto my Pokémon as well tonight? Blue and I probably won’t be fighting.”

“No problemo,” Wyatt said, taking the bag and clipping it to his belt. “I don’t actually have any Pokémon myself. They’ve never been my thing. Music is. Do either of you play anything?”

“I can play a couple of really simple tunes on the flute,” Saylee said. “Not very well, though. What about you, Silver?”

“Music’s stupid, it’s for girls and weaklings,” Silver said stubbornly. Wyatt mimed being shot in the heart.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing. Well, we’ll see if we can’t change your tune by tomorrow,” he said. “B-dum _TSH_!” He drummed on the table.

“That was bad and you should feel bad,” Saylee laughed. She liked Wyatt; he radiated a calming aura of total, casual acceptance of everyone. She hoped that getting to hang out with a friendly male relative, even for a little while, would do Silver some good. “Well, Silver? Are you going to trust me now?”

“I’ll tell you in the morning,” Silver grumbled. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he asked when Wyatt burst out laughing.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“You nearly broke my hand when the Mismagius jumped out of the mirror,” Blue complained as they walked out of the cinema on Azaela Street. Saylee squeezed his hand.

“Sorry,” she apologized with a self-conscious grin. “It startled me. But you know what was worse?”

Blue nodded, glaring over his shoulder. “Gareth…”

“What?” The Haunter said, floating along behind them upside-down. “I’m bored and the kid’s worried you’re going to run off on him.”

“Paranoid much?” Blue grumbled, walking faster and tugging Saylee after him. Gareth just floated faster.

“I don’t think he trusts anyone, and it’s not as if he doesn’t have good reason,” Saylee sighed, concentrating on ignoring Gareth blowing razzberries every time she spoke. “Remember who his parents are. It’s all baby steps with that kid, but I really want to make the effort, you know? He’s my little brother, and you can make some pretty decent guys out of jerks.” She grinned and leaned against his side, walking close to him.

“Thanks,” Blue said with a cocky smirk.

“Don’t grin like that, you’re still a work in progress,” Saylee told him. “So, where do you want to go now?”

“How about we just go to the usual spot?” Blue said. “We haven’t done that while we’re here.”

“Good idea!” Saylee agreed. “C’mon.” They turned a corner and headed up Goldenrod Boulevard. It was late, past ten, but the city was still as bright as day with all of the brightly-lit shops and attractions.

“Where’s the usual spot?” Gareth wanted to know. “Where is it? Huh? Huh? Huh?” Saylee shivered, and Blue swore as the ghost-type whizzed in and out of their heads.

“Not sure yet, but we’ll find it,” Saylee said, wincing as Gareth flew through her head again.

“That’s it,” Blue growled, releasing his Exeggutor. “Edgar! Trick Room him until about six am, could you?”

“Oh, with pleasure!” Edgar’s middle head said while the other two grinned happily. Gareth yelled as the Exeggutor vanished them both in a cube of pink light.

“I worry that he’s a touch psycho, but what can you expect from a guy with three heads, you know?” Blue sighed.

“Edward was pretty on the ball, but come to think of it, I only ever heard one of his heads talk,” Saylee laughed.

“Edward?” Blue asked. Saylee’s grip tightened for a moment. “Didn’t know you had an Exeggcute. Do you want to tell me about him?”

“Sure,” Saylee said. The walk to National Park was spent talking about Edward, the Exeggcute that Saylee had only had for a week, and then Sandra, the Spearow that Blue had lost in a battle with a wild Geodude and never spoken of before, and they ended up talking about all of their lost Pokémon on their way to the park. Not the cheeriest of topics for a date, but somehow Saylee found herself not even thinking of their deaths, only talking about their lives and their dreams and funny things they’d said and amazing battles they’d won.

“There!” Blue said as they walked through some of the trees in the National Park. “That looks like the usual spot.”

“Yep,” Saylee agreed, running through the trees and stopping at the edge of the grass, peering down the green slope. “Looks like it. Come on, let’s get a seat.”

“It’s greener than anywhere in Kanto,” Blue observed, sitting down on the chilly grass. Saylee leaned against him, suddenly cold once they were no longer moving.  “Have you seen the kind of toys they were offering to Silver? No wonder the kid feels babied. When we were kids, slopes like these were the best toy in the world.”

“You sound like an old man,” Saylee laughed. “KIDS THESE DAYS!”

“Wait until you’re eighteen, see how young and free you feel,” Blue sighed dramatically. “Heh. Remember how funny it was when Red fell down that slope when he was ten and couldn’t climb back up?”

“He didn’t fall, you pushed him,” Saylee pointed out. “And it was so steep that it might as well have been a cliff face.”

“Good times,” Blue said happily.

“I miss him,” Saylee sighed. Blue hugged her.

“Me too,” he said softly. “Sorry. I guess I fail at changing the subject to something better.”

“Changing the subject?” Saylee asked, peering up at him. He looked uncomfortable.

“You were telling me about Vick,” he said. “I was worried about what happened if we started talking about Paul. I’m just digging my own grave here, aren’t I?”

“Paul…” Saylee stiffened a little. “I miss him, too.”

“Can you… tell me about him?” Blue asked gently. “Please?”

Saylee sighed. “He… he talked a lot. Nonstop if you got him started,” she said tentatively. “He was jealous of Lorenzo and wanted to learn how to surf. He lived in the Power Plant sometimes, but roamed all over looking for food. He actually worked for some bug Pokémon at one time, he said, protecting them from a flock of Spearow in exchange for some of their berries.”

“That’s pretty cool,” Blue said. Saylee nodded.

“He was really cool,” she said softly. “And he knew it. He was really cocky. He wanted to take on anything…”

“I know I’ve said this already, but I can’t say enough that I’m sorry,” Blue said, hugging Saylee tightly. “My only defence was that I was scared you’d react the same way Red had, that you’d run off into the mountains and never come back. That terrified me. I held your life as more important than your Pokémon’s, and I’m sorry. But…” he sighed. “You know that if it came down to a choice between your life or your Pokémon, I’d always prioritize your life.”

“That’s the thing,” Saylee admitted. “Something I’ve wondered. I started thinking about that time in Lavender Tower, when you and most of your Pokémon were possessed and I had to knock you all out for Adam to get you out.”

“I remember,” Blue said. “Well, not really, but you know.”

Saylee nodded. “I started thinking… what if it had come down to… well, what if the only way to get you out was to kill one of your possessed Pokémon? What if I had to kill your Pokémon to save you? And the thing is, it wasn’t a difficult choice. It was easy. Straight away, I knew I would. I tell myself I’d absolutely never kill—except for hunting for food, of course—but…”

“I thought that too,” Blue said quietly. “I told myself I wasn’t the kind of person who’d kill. Food’s different, everyone knows that. But… I guess things aren’t as black and white as all that. No absolutes. Except,” he added, kissing her on the top of her head, “that you’re a moron.”

Saylee grinned. “And that you’re a jerk. But still, in the end, you’re not _that_ bad, I guess.”

“Oh stop, you flatter me so,” Blue said, leaning down to kiss her again, this time on the lips.

“Hello, just when you least expect it!”

“GARY! DON’T LET THAT CREEPER GET AWAY!”

{}

Aside from Blue, five other trainers were making the trip back to Kanto with the supply train. A woman with long silver hair and a person with fluffy purple hair were evidently regulars on this trip and were chatting familiarly to the conductor. A young man with blue hair was texting relentlessly on his pokégear. An elderly lady with short grey hair and a long coat was tending the jagged antlers of a large, battle-scarred Stantler and pleasantly answering a barrage of questions about Kanto from a flame-haired man with a foreign accent.

“Be careful,” Saylee said, picking out Carrie, Hernan, Tobias and Mary’s pokéballs and handing them to Blue.

“Good luck finding Red,” Blue said, pocketing her pokéball. “When the snow starts, right? Do you know when that’ll be?”

“Soon, I hope,” Saylee sighed. Blue leaned over and kissed her.

“Can you two idiots give it a _break_? You’re in _public_ ,” Silver complained, shoving them apart. “It’s _gross_.”

“Do you want me to zap them?” Mag asked.

“Not yet,” Silver said darkly. Blue made a face at him.

“Everybody here? Let’s get a move on!” The conductor yelled. The other five made for the train.

“That’s my ride,” Blue said, shouldering his bag. “See you in the spring. I’ll miss you,” he added, leaning over and giving Saylee a quick kiss again. Saylee leaned up on her tiptoes as he pulled away, drawing it out just a little longer and ignoring the loud gagging noises coming from her half-brother.

“I’ll miss you too,” she said. “Be safe! I don’t want to have to go into the mountains looking for you, too!”

Blue ran off to the train, waving at Saylee. “Focus on finding Red first!” he yelled, jumping in and immediately whacking the boy with blue hair over the head for whistling.

“Can we _go_ now?” Silver complained as the train pulled away. Mag buzzed happily as it started moving.

“Do you have everything?” Saylee asked him, watching the train go.

“I’ve got everything, can we _go_?” Silver whined, tugging at Saylee’s arm. The train shot out of sight and Saylee turned to leave the station.

“Let’s go, then,” she agreed. “I’ll give Helen a call and tell her we’ll be there in a couple of days…”

“Don’t be an idiot,” Silver said, picking a pokéball out of his pocket. “This guy wouldn’t stop hanging around me, and he asked that cri— _Bill_ ,” he corrected himself petulantly when Saylee glared sharply at him. “He asked _Bill_ if he could come with, and because Bill’s an idiot he said yes.”

“Bill’s Kadabra? His name’s Alec, right?” Saylee said with interest.

“I dunno, probably,” Silver said flippantly, releasing Alec. Something was off about him, and it took Saylee a moment to realise what.

“Ahh,” Alec said, looking at both of his spoons in turn and then twisting around to look at where his tail used to be. “This one understood that it took one a wealth of new experiences to achieve this state, but this is still rather sooner than this one expected.” The Alakazam turned back to them. “Pleasure to see you again, Miss Pryce.”

Saylee started. She was getting used to the idea of having grandparents, cousins and even a little half-brother, but it was the first time that anyone had addressed her as “Pryce”. It was kind of cool in an odd way. She’d never had a surname before, aside from “Johanna’s daughter”.

“Pleasure to see you too, Alec,” she said. “Do you think you can teleport us to Mahogany Town?”

“This one can indeed, now,” Alec said, raising his spoons. “As a Kadabra it would have been difficult, having not been to this place before, but this one believes that if a woman could visualize it in her head…”

Saylee held out her hand to Silver. “Ready to go see what Mahogany’s like in good weather?” she said with a smile. Silver stared closely at her hand.

“I guess,” he said slowly. “You came back, so I guess you’re not a _complete_ liar.” He tentatively reached out and took her hand. He glanced at Mag, who floated over and gently clung to Silver’s shoulder without zapping him. “Can we go _now_?”

“Go ahead, Alec,” Saylee said, closing her eyes and thinking of the large building that she’d first seen Arthur Pryce in front of.

“Then we go!” Alec said. There was a flash of light that Saylee could see even through her closed eyes, and then the cement under her feet turned to grass. Saylee opened her eyes to see that they were standing in a small park in the middle of the town. They were a few feet away from a playground, where children stopped playing on the few unbroken pieces of equipment to stare at Saylee and Silver’s sudden appearance. They were surrounded by wood-and-stone houses, some with visible repair work still going on.

“Is this it?” Silver said, looking around and returning Alec. “What’re you idiots gawking at?” he yelled sharply at the kids. “Fuck off!”

“Silver, watch your language!” Saylee told him as the kids scattered. “They weren’t doing anything wrong. Anyway, I think we’re here.” She pointed at a long stone wall that was visible at the end of the street. “I’d say that’s it. I read about Mahogany Town while I was in hospital. Did you know that this town is nearly six thousand years old? A village was first recorded as being here in 507 BDE. Although none of the original buildings are still here. The occasional rampage by enraged Gyarados does that. But I read that the oldest building still standing is the Pryce family mansion.”

“ _Mansion_?” Silver said, staring at Saylee.

“Used to be an early-empire fortress,” Saylee explained, “but all of the upper floors kept getting knocked down during storms. The bottom floor’s below the outer wall, so it was just roofed off as a single-story mansion in about 1963 ADE. It’s still like that. Apparently the Pryce family are the last descendants of the ninja clan that used to live beneath the town…”

“Are you telling me we’re descended from _ninjas_?” Silver said incredulously. “…That’s _kinda_ cool. I guess.” Saylee grinned. They got to the end of the road and started following the stone wall around, looking for the entrance. “So what do BDE and ADE mean? What’s all that guff?”

“Oh, I was just reading about that… history’s interesting, don’t you think?” Saylee said, trying to remember what the acronyms mean. “Oh! That’s it. Before Draconic Empire and After Draconic Empire. When the Dragon Clan took over the whole of the Fairlands—Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh, with a bit of Orre annexed, I think it said somewhere—they considered it such a big deal that they started counting the calendar from there. You know the year?”

“Fifty-seven ninety,” Silver said. “So that means…”

“It’s been five thousand, seven hundred and ninety years since the Dragon Clan was at the height of its power,” Saylee explained.

“I knew that,” Silver insisted. “I was about to say that.”

“Really? You got better schooling than I did,” Saylee said, peering around the corner. “Professor Oak knows everything there is about Pokémon, but nobody knew much about world history… there’s the entrance!”

“So, what? We just knock and walk in?” Silver said, dragging his feet a little. Mag gave him a little nudge.

“I guess so,” Saylee said, trying to tug him along. “Helen— _Granny_ said we could.” It felt weird to use that word, but Saylee hoped that the familial term would make Silver feel more relaxed. He was already looking uncomfortable, and he was _rude_ when he felt uncomfortable. “C’mon, it’ll be fine.”

“I’m not scared,” Silver said quickly. “We had a _big_ house in Viridian, y’know. Lots of it was full of Rocket stuff, but it was big.”

“This looks like a big house too,” Saylee said as they reached the door. “But I can promise you that it’s not full of Rocket stuff.” There was a button next to the door. Saylee pressed it and a buzzer rang.

 _“Hello_?” a voice said over the intercom. It was a woman’s voice. Saylee didn’t recognize her.

“Hi, my name’s Saylee, and I’m with Silver,” Saylee said. “Um…”

“ _Helen and Arthur’s new grandkids? Oh, welcome! I’ll send Lucy out to let you in!_ ”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, stepping back to wait. She squeezed Silver’s hand and he yanked it away.

“You’re not a _complete_ liar,” he muttered. “But if they don’t like us and make us go, I’m blaming you.”

“Don’t call anyone a bitch or a fucking idiot and we ought to be alright,” Saylee said, still holding her hand out. Silver slowly took it again.

“I will if they are,” he muttered. The doors creaked open and Saylee was caught in a surprise glomp.

“Another girl in the family! _Finally_!”


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“Are you Lucy?” Saylee choked out. The tall brunette had hugged her so hard that Saylee was swung off of her feet and couldn’t quite find the ground again. Silver was sniggering.

“Yep!” Saylee’s cousin set her down and held her at arm’s length while she looked her up and down. Lucy had dark red eyes and long, wavy brown hair. She was wearing silver-rimmed glasses and a long white coat. “You’ll do. Nice to meet you! And is this Silver?” She let Saylee go and crouched in front of Silver, who crossed his arms and glared at her. “Ornery little brat, aren’t you? Nice to meet you, li’l cuz! Cute hair. Are you a boy or a girl?”

“Oi! I’m a _boy_ , you stupid bitch!” Silver yelled angrily.

“Silver, what did I tell you about calling people stupid bitches?” Saylee said warningly.

“She called me a _girl_ ,” Silver complained, pointing at Lucy, who giggled. “Mag!”

“Mag, if you electrocute anyone in this house I will have Georgia remove you from it,” Saylee said levelly. “Silver, don’t set your Pokémon on your relatives.”

“Oh, maybe he should!” Lucy said, getting to her feet.

“Excuse me?” Saylee said, confused.

“Well, y’know, the traditional way for two trainers to get to know each other and their Pokémon is by battle, isn’t it?” Lucy said, pushing them back out of the front doors. “C’mon, there’s this great field that everyone uses for casual battles. Hey, Greta?” she said, pressing the intercom. “I’m taking Saylee and Silver out for fights, if anyone’s looking for us.”

“ _Of course you are_ ,” sighed the woman that had greeted Saylee before. “ _Have fun!_ ”

“Shall we?” Lucy said, closing the doors and setting off down the road.

“I’m all for it,” Saylee agreed, glancing over at Silver. “You?”

“…she’s probably really weak, I can beat her,” Silver decided, sticking his hands in his pockets and following sullenly.

They passed through a street of shops and a couple of blocks of houses, with Lucy keeping up a random running commentary of good shops, friends’ houses and places of interest, before a line of boulders abruptly cut off the houses from wide open fields. “These are the remains of an old city wall,” Lucy said, patting one of the boulders as she went past. “Pat it there, where the hand mark is. It’s good luck.”

“Why’s there a hand carved into it?” Saylee asked, patting the red mark about four feet up on one of the grey boulders. It was a huge hand; her own barely filled its palm.

“Archaeologists think it might have been ceremonial, something to do with welcoming people into the town,” Lucy said with a shrug. “There’s something like fifteen distinct boulders from the old wall that all have their own little superstition or myth attached to them. I’ll show you sometime. Right, for now—see those two flat rocks?”

“I see them,” Saylee said. Two large rocks were set roughly forty metres apart across a worn area of grass with random chunks gouged out of the ground. Saylee could see a worn-smooth oval in the nearest rock.

“You’re the challenger, so you have to go stand on the farther one,” Lucy said, giving Saylee a push. “I stand here, we fight. Three on three sound good to you?”

“Where do we go?” Mag asked Silver.

“I dunno, but I’m gonna go find something interesting to do unless they stop talking and start fighting,” Silver grumbled, kicking the dirt at the base of Lucy’s stone.

“Don’t worry, I’m in,” Saylee said, running off across the field. When she got to the designated boulder, her fingers danced across the pokéballs on her belt for a while before settling on one. Saylee held it up in the air to signal that she was ready to go.

“On go, then,” Lucy shouted, holding up her own first choice. “Ready… set… GO!”

Lucy’s first Pokémon was a Dewgong. Saylee was very, very relieved that she’d picked Nider first. Chip and Georgia would both be at great risk from a Dewgong, and powerful as Chaz was, he still wouldn’t fare much better.

“This is Seraphine,” Lucy said proudly. “Sera, this is my cousin Saylee, the one I was telling you about!”

“Hi,” Seraphine said, bowing her head and flicking her tail elegantly. She looked to Nider. “And you are…?”

“Call me Nider, babe,” he said, grinning. “I promise I’ll go gentle on you…”

“And they said chivalry was dead,” Seraphine commented dryly. “Well, I can fix that. Luce, darling, are we fighting or having tea on the battlefield?”

“Just getting the introductions done,” Lucy said. “Alright then, Ice Beam!”

“You too, Nider!” Saylee ordered. Nider and Seraphine both fired streams of ice from their horns at the same moment. The two beams clashed in a shower of ice fragments. “Now Double-Kick!”

Nider leapt over the ice shower and kicked Seraphine forcefully. She wailed in pain as she hit the ground hard.

“Aurora Beam!” Lucy called quickly. Seraphine smirked as she hit Nider with a beam of rainbow light from point-blank range.

“Looks like a KO to me!”

“Conor, what are you doing here?” Lucy called, looking up to her left. “Don’t you have a job?”

“Yeah, but rumours that if you go to the lake you’ll be attacked by mutant Gyarados have kinda cramped my business,” A man called back. He was sitting on a ledge about six feet high that ran along the north side of the field. He had light brown hair, almost blond, and the same dark red eyes as Lucy. “Greta said that the new cousins got here and you immediately kidnapped them out here. Is this them?”

“Nobody kidnapped us,” Silver said indignantly, running over to climb up onto the ledge next to Conor. “Hey, you, why didn’t you tell me there was a good view from up here? Who’re you, anyway?”

“I’m Lucy’s big brother and your most awesome cousin, Conor,” Conor said, holding out his hand for Silver to shake. Silver pointedly ignored him. “Well, it’s nice to meet you _too_. Silver, right? Are you Saylee, then?” he shouted.

“That I am,” Saylee called back, returning the unconscious Nider. “Nice move.”

“Awww, I had the advantage anyway,” Lucy said, her proud grin at odd with her modest words. “Great stuff, Sera. Alright, cuz, ready for round two?” she asked, returning Seraphine and selecting another pokéball.

“Bring it on,” Saylee said, choosing Georgia. She had decided not to use Chaz for this fight, so Chip was her best and she wanted to save him for last. She suspected that Lucy was doing the same. “Ready… set… GO!”

Lucy’s second Pokémon looked like a pile of brown hair with tusks and a round, pink nose. Saylee clicked open her Pokédex and identified it as Piloswine, a ground/ice type.

“Sasha, this is my cousin Saylee,” Lucy explained. “Saylee… whoa, what’s up with your Golem? Are they meant to have four arms?”

“Oi’m perfec’ly foine, moy love, don’t you worry about me,” Georgia said, cracking all of her knuckles. “Oi’m Georgia, oi am. This one o’ your cousins, then, Lee?”

“Georgia, Lucy and Sasha,” Saylee introduced them. “Lucy, Sasha, Georgia. Georgia, Rock Smash!”

“Roight you are!” Georgia charged forwards, all four fists ready to smash into Sasha. The Piloswine was quicker and managed to dodge one pair of fists, but couldn’t avoid the second. “Oi really don’t know ‘ow most Golems get used t’usin’ just two again,” Georgia commented as her opponent staggered back.

“Ice Shard!” Lucy called. Georgia was pushed back by a barrage of ice splinters. “Don’t let her near you!”

“Aye, lass, I winnae,” Sasha said gruffly, firing more ice shards from under her thick, shaggy fur. “That wis _sair_!”

“Nice strategy!” Saylee called. “Shame it’s useless! Georgia! Flamethrower!”

Georgia grinned at the immediate look of panic on Lucy’s face and opened her mouth. Something _clicked_ and sparked inside and then a stream of fire hit Sasha hard.

“Sasha, return!” Lucy called as Sasha squealed in pain. “That has _got_ to be cheating somehow. Nobody could predict that!”

“Yeah, that’s the point,” Saylee laughed. “She won’t tell me how she actually does it. I’m assuming flint is involved somewhere.”

“Trade secret, moy love, oi ain’t tellin’,” Georgia said. “Your boy Chaz ‘elped me get it down perfect, though.”

“Great job,” Saylee giggled, returning her.

“Sneaky bugger,” Conor was heard to comment.

“Yeah, she does that,” Silver added. “Weak people are sneaky.”

“The scores are now one-all, then!” Conor boomed, holding up an imaginary microphone in imitation of the Pokéathlon commentator. “Tiiiiiiime for the tiebreaker, ladies!”

“Bring it,” Saylee called, holding up Chip’s pokéball.

“I promise you, I saved the best for last!” Lucy shouted back. “Ready… and… GO!”

They both threw their pokéballs into the air. Chip appeared and reared up, his mane igniting. He was facing what Saylee first took for a Vaporeon but, on closer inspection…

“Are you an eeveelution?” Saylee said in surprise to the pale-blue Pokémon. “Never seen anything like _you_ before.”

“I don’t doubt it, darlin’,” the mysterious eeveelution said, flicking her head and making the long tresses of darker blue fur that hung past her ears flap and sparkled. “The name’s Emilie. Are you that cousin Luce here was goin’ on about?”

“I’m Saylee,” she introduced herself with a nod. “This is Chip. Before we start, I just have to know… what _are_ you, Emilie?”

“She evolved when we were on a skiing holiday to Snowpoint City in Sinnoh about four years ago,” Lucy said proudly. “They say she’s a Glaceon… an extremely rare ice-type eeveelution!” She frowned at Chip. “He’s a Typhlosion, isn’t he…? Bollocks.”

“I ain’t afraid of him, darlin’,” Emilie said proudly.

“Yeah!” Lucy said, perking up again. “You’re way too strong to worry about type advantages! Ice Beam!”

“Admirable sentiments, but types aren’t meaningless,” Saylee called. “Lava Plume!”

“Whoops,” Emilie giggled, nimbly flipping out of the way of a flying clump of red-hot lava. Her Ice Beam still got through, but turned to steam as it hit Chip, causing no visible damage. “Careful, darlin’, you could singe someone like that!” She leapt out of the way of shot after shot of lava, never reaching Chip herself but too agile to be hit.

“This be goin’ nowhere,” Chip muttered between spitting lava. “Lee? Can I be tryin’ what Chaz taught me?”

“It might be overkill,” Saylee said dubiously. Chip fired another shot of lava that barely missed Emilie once again, and had to dodge backwards as she darted towards him before firing the next shot.

“I’m hardly bein’ strong as Chaz,” he pointed out.

“If you’ve got somethin’ of interest up your sleeve, darlin’, use it!” Emilie called.

“Double Team!” Lucy ordered. Dozens of Emilies surrounded Chip. “Don’t you dare hold back! Let’s see what you can do! Go, Emilie! Blizzard”

“You asked for it!” Saylee yelled. “Blast Burn!”

Chip’s mane flared up, burning blue as dozens of Emilies blasted powerful frozen gusts at him. Chip roared and blasted out a wave of living fire that obliterated the blizzard. The waves split around Saylee, Lucy, Conor and Silver, rolling into fireballs that homed in on Emilie’s images, dissipating them and surrounding the real Glaceon. Nimble as she was, she couldn’t escape the fire that tracked her.

“Emilie, return!” Lucy called just before the fire struck. “Ceez… if that’s the weaker attack, I’d hate to fight your Chaz. We’ve gotta do that sometime.”

“Game, set and match!” Conor called. “You’re pretty good, for girls.”

“Says the man whose loss tally is well into triple digits,” Lucy said sweetly, not looking up. Conor winced.

“Ceez, how weak are _you_?” Silver said incredulously, staring at Conor.

“Hey, I’ll fight you too, if you want, Silver!” Lucy offered. “If you’re a trainer too, we need to meet ‘n’ greet the traditional way, right?”

“Whatever,” Silver said, hopping off of the ledge and heading over to Saylee. “Just go get healed first. I don’t want to waste my time on someone weak.”

“Yes, _sir_ ,” Lucy said, rolling her eyes and running off in the direction of the town. “Clinic’s right by the edge of town, I’ll just be a minute!”

Silver stopped in front of the rock that Saylee was standing on. “Move, you’re in my spot.”

“What’s the magic word?” Saylee asked.

Silver stared at her incredulously. “What do you think I am, _five_?” he objected.

“Are you going to act like you are?” Saylee retorted. “Adults say _please_. Save the threats for when that doesn’t work.”

“Fine,” Silver grouched. “Will you _please_ move, you stupid bitch?”

“Ceez, kid, who taught _you_ how manners work?” Connor said, appalled.

“Nobody, that’s the problem,” Saylee said, crossing her arms. “Try again, Silver. Of course, you don’t _have_ to stand here…”

Silver scowled, probably trying to decide whether “losing” constituted saying _please_ or giving up the spot. “ _Please_ move,” he eventually growled.

“Of course,” Saylee said, smiling broadly at him and stepping off the rock. “Was that so hard? And if you’d just said that from the beginning, it’d all be done just that quickly.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Silver picked one of his pokéballs out of his pocket and tossed it up in the air, juggling it impatiently. Mag sparked every time it bounced near him. “Where’s that stupid loser? She’s slow.”

“You know, kid,” Conor put in, “they say in Sinnoh that you catch more Combee with honey than with vinegar.”

“I dunno what a Combee is, but it sounds weak,” Silver said boredly. “Why would I want to catch something weak?”

“Aye-yi-yi… how the hell do you get through to that kid?” Conor asked as Saylee and Chip came over to join him. Chip boosted Saylee up so she could reach the ledge more easily.

“I’m banking on _patiently_ ,” she said. “Believe it or not, he’s made a lot of progress since I first met him.” Conor looked incredulously from her to Silver.

“Sorry about the wait!” Lucy called, running up with her pokéballs in her arms. “Let’s do this!”

“ _Finally_ ,” Silver complained.

{}

“She’s so _pretty_!”

“I totally am,” Siren agreed, basking in Lucy’s squeals and awe. At the end of the day, Saylee stood with two wins against both Silver and Lucy, Silver with a loss against Saylee and a win against Lucy, and Lucy with two losses. She’d taken it well, rounding on Conor when he’d teased her for it and pointing out that as _he’d_ never beaten her, he was by default weaker than his nearly ten-year-old cousin. Silver had actually laughed at that, a mocking snigger but still a laugh. Conor hadn’t bothered to challenge either of them and had instead headed off somewhere on his own, so Saylee still didn’t know what Pokémon he had. She, Lucy and Silver were sitting together in the interior garden of the huge Pryce house with all of their Pokémon mingling and meeting one another.

The front path through the gate actually lead into the dojo hall, which Saylee had yet to see inside but was apparently cavernous and filled with permanent icebergs created by the Pryce family’s extensive collection of powerful ice-types. They’d gone around the side to get to the front door to the main house, which was a loop around the ornamental garden. Saylee and Silver were having bedrooms made up in the west wing, which according to Lucy were probably formerly her brothers’ rooms. There was also a guest room in there which was often Wyatt’s, and an entertainment room with the biggest television that Saylee had ever seen. The east wing was where their grandparents’ room and Lucy’s parents’ room was, along with the study and the library, which seemed to have wall-to-ceiling bookshelves instead of walls. Saylee couldn’t wait to go through it; she’d picked up quite an interest in history since coming to Johto and finding out that there were records older than she was. Plus, there’d been nothing much to do in hospital but read.

The north wing had bathrooms, including a huge old-fashioned heated bath, and the rooms belonging to Greta and Hunter. Greta was the housekeeper, a ferocious ball of energy that seemed to be capable of being in four places at once to maintain the huge old house. She’d appeared briefly to shake Saylee’s hand in welcome and pinch a horrified Silver’s cheeks before seeming to teleport away to make up fresh beds for them. Lucy had warned Saylee that Greta was a tremendous history buff and would be able to tell Saylee every last thing that had happened to every plank of wood in the house over the past six thousand years. Hunter was Greta’s youngest son, and while he’d waved at Saylee and Silver, he seemed painfully shy and had finished tending a bush in the garden very quickly and scurried off to somewhere else in the house without speaking. He was twenty-one, like Conor, according to Lucy, and had two elder sisters, one working on a ferry service and the other studying medicine in Sinnoh.

The south wing had the kitchen, dining room and a formal sitting room for greeting guests. Conor had gone off to find his parents while Saylee, Silver and Lucy had went through the dining room to the ornamental garden to hang out, let out their Pokémon and get to know one another.

Silver had surprised Saylee by introducing his Pokémon—reluctantly, sullenly, but introducing them—by name. When she asked him, he retorted, “I didn’t _ask_ for their names, they just told me on their own, okay?”

“Silver, you don’t need to defend yourself as if you said something wrong,” Saylee told him, sitting on the wooden porch that ran around the ornamental garden and dangling her feet above a flowerbed. “I’m very impressed that you remembered all their names.”

“I didn’t _try_ to,” Silver said quickly, looking away from her.

“Even more impressive,” Saylee said, leaving him looking confused as she turned to Gareth, his Haunter. “How are you?”

“Feeling tough,” Gareth said with a broad grin. “But I still feel like I can get tougher, and I’m not going anywhere until I do!”

“Did I ever tell you that I used to have a Kadabra friend named Alan?” Chaz was saying to Alec. “His moustache was shorter than yours, though.”

“Long moustaches are a symbol of our power,” Alec explained.

“So this Alan of yours must’ve been weaker than Alec here, and that’s pretty _weak_ ,” Gareth laughed.

Chaz glared at him. “He died young, protecting his friend and student,” he said shortly.

“That sounds very noble,” Alec said, bowing his head to Chaz.

“Yeah, weak but fearless,” Gareth put in again. “A fatal mix, but _oh so noble._ ”

“I can’t tell if you’re complimenting him or insulting him,” Chaz growled, “but I’ve fried ghosts before and I’ll do it again if you’re disrespecting my late friend.”

“Don’t give him the satisfaction, he’s just messing with you,” Zeb sighed, before snapping his fangs at Gareth. “Jerk used to mess with my sonar back before I had eyes.”

“It was funny!” Gareth insisted.

“My oldest brother’s called Alan,” Lucy told Saylee. “He’s basically Conor, but less muscly because he’s not a sports nut like Conor. He’s never beaten me either, but he thinks he should inherit because he’s the oldest. He lives with his girlfriend by the lake. They’ll probably come down for dinner, you can meet them then.”

“I can’t wait for Red to meet all of you,” Saylee told her, “although you’ll have to get used to three people being able to beat you…”

Nider was walking around Mag next to one of the ornamental trees. “How d’you even _work_?” he asked in confusion.

“Magnetism,” Mag said simply.

“The amount of sense that makes to me,” Nider said in confusion, “is just below jack-squat. Oi, Georgia! D’you know how this thing works?”

“Just ‘cause oi used to ‘ave a magnetic core moiself don’t mean oi knows ‘ow _that_ one works,” Georgia said, turning back to her conversation with Sasha. “Oi knows how rocks work, that’s all, not them metals. ‘Ow about you, moy love? See alroight through that?”

“Aye, but ah dinnae need tae,” Sasha said, fluffing her long brown hair. “Goat me nose, aight? Smells every’hin’ jus’ fine. Even rocks.” She sniffed at Georgia. “You goat a wee bit ay exposed sandstone, ken?”

“Her accent be ‘mindin me o’ Mary’s,” Chip commented. “They both be havin’ that same funny way t’be speakin’.”

“Isn’t that the sea calling the river wet,” Tyra grumbled. “Still can’t figure out how _you_ of all people got badass. You were a snivelling little wimp of a Cyndaquil!”

“And you ain’t been changin’ a bit, Tyra,” Chip said levelly. “Wonder ‘ow Chet’s been doin’. I ain’t been seein’ ‘im in months.”

“Probably still sucking up to everyone,” Tyra sniffed. “Who wants to play around with a bunch of little kids, anyway?”

“Your trainer’s a little kid,” Chip pointed out.

“He doesn’t play.”


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“Do you know what was funniest?” Silver said, munching on one of the muffins he’d stolen out of the kitchen and sitting on the desk chair in Saylee’s room backwards. “When that green-haired bitch asked what your favourite subject was at school and you were all ‘I liked it when Professor Oak told us about Pokémon’ and everyone was just staring like they had no idea what to say. Like they were thinking that you were dumb for not going to school but they didn’t want to say it because they’re so _polite_. I hate shit like that. They should just say stuff.”

“It would have been rude, Silver,” Saylee said, taking the back off a photo frame that Lucy gave her for her photo of herself and Red. “As is calling your aunt a ‘green-haired bitch’. I don’t think they quite get it. Lucy said that when she was growing up she heard that Kanto was a desolate wasteland with nobody living in it and it’s only in the past couple of years that they found out it’s not entirely lifeless, so nobody quite knows what to make of it. They don’t get that stuff like school and television and radio aren’t big things in Kanto like they are here.” She clicked the frame into place and glanced over as Silver took a bite and showered crumbs all over the floor of her new room. “Greta’s going to have my hide for that. Did you see how fast that woman got to the table when we were done eating? How does she do it? And why are you stealing food from the kitchen? They laid on a huge dinner for us!”

“I don’t think eating that many vegetables is right,” Silver complained. “Besides, there’s food all over the place here, why wouldn’t I eat it? They’re rich as fuck, they can get more.”

“Silver, I did give you a list of words that aren’t considered okay to use in normal conversations, didn’t I?” Saylee said, setting the photo frame on the bedside table. There wasn’t much decoration in the room, aside from some faint marks on the light yellow walls from the adhesive backs of posters. The furniture consisted of a bed with matching yellow bedspread, a bedside table with some drawers, a desk and a wardrobe, all large, heavy old wood pieces that had probably been in the house for a few centuries. All of Saylee’s things could fit in the bedside table, but she was trying to spread things around to make the room feel less oversized.

“I don’t get it, they’re just stupid words,” Silver complained. “What’s that ugly thing?”

“This?” Saylee held up the tangle of string and mementoes that made up her dreamcatcher. “It’s made up of things I’ve been left, or given… see this spoon in the middle? It belonged to my Kadabra, Alan.”

Silver leaned over the back of the desk chair to peer at the spoon. “Didn’t your Charizard say he’s dead?”

“He is,” Saylee agreed, untangling the string to hang the dreamcatcher on the wall from. “I’ll never forget him. This coin here belonged to his student, a Drowzee named Daisy. She died in a landslide when she was a Hypno.”

“Why do so many Pokémon _die_ around you?” Silver asked.

“Silver,” Saylee bit out, gripping the dreamcatcher, “do you ever think that sometimes the things you say might hurt people’s feelings?”

“What do I care? You hate me anyway,” Silver said, finishing his muffin. “Everyone does.”

Saylee stared at him, startled by how blithely he’d said that. “Silver… you piss me off a lot, but I do not and have never _hated_ you. Even when I didn’t know you were my little brother.”

“Why not?” Silver said, staring. “You just said that I piss you off.”

“That’s not always a reason to hate someone,” Saylee sighed, setting her dreamcatcher down on her lap. “I hate your mother for being violently abusive towards her _child_. I hate our dad for being abusively neglectful all around and also for being a criminal mastermind who’s behind the suffering of countless people and Pokémon. I hate a lot of people who’ve murdered my Pokémon simply because they could, because we were in the wrong place, because they like to kill. I _don’t_ hate people who’ve killed my Pokémon by accident, who didn’t want to…” she fidgeted with the strings on her dreamcatcher, making Daisy’s coin and Sabrina’s clink together. “You are a damaged little boy who says a lot of mean things as self-defence. I have found you annoying, but never hated you. If I saw any other kid like you, I’d hope someone would try and be there for them to give them a chance to not grow up to be a mean adult. You’re my little brother, so I’ll try and be there for you.”

“Who says I need you?” Silver said, biting into another muffin. “An’ ‘m on’y y’r h’f-bruffa,” he added around a mouthful of muffin.

“Sure,” Saylee sighed, scrabbling around at the bottom of her bag for a pin to attach her dreamcatcher to the wall with. “There we go…”

“So what’s in that bag?” Silver asked. Saylee looked up in surprise. “Stop looking even dumber than usual and tell me what’s in the bag!”

“Magic word?” Saylee asked, poking at the small cloth bag hanging off the bottom of her dreamcatcher.

“ _Please_ ,” Silver said, rolling his eyes and eating more muffin. “Wud iffit?”

“Hold ‘em up to your ears,” Saylee said, taking the little blue and red fragments out of her bag. “What do you hear?”

“Sea,” Silver said, holding up the blue one. “And, I dunno, landslide?” He held up the two stones and stared at them. “These are _weird_. Where’d you get them?” he threw them back at Saylee. She caught them and put them back into their bag.

“I found them in the Sevii Islands,” Saylee explained. “My Kabuto, Kaito, found this cave…”

{}

“Completely impassable?” Saylee said with dismay over breakfast the next morning.

“It’ll be about three months until the path is safe to travel, yes,” her grandfather said, not looking up from the news feed that he was reading from his pokegear’s holoprojector. “And since the Dragon Clan last changed their ways around the time we learned to work steel, there aren’t any teleporters in or out. They deliberately make it as hard as possible to get in, and don’t doubt that when you do, you’ll have to fight to get anything at all.”

“Lucy goes every spring to train,” Helen added, doling out pancakes onto their plates.

“They are strong, but I’m an ice trainer and they all train dragons, so I tend to hold my own,” Lucy said proudly, accepting her pancakes.

“Three months… I think I’d like to train Gabriel,” Saylee commented thoughtfully. “Do you know the best way up to the Lake of Rage?”

“Gabriel?” Helen asked, pouring some syrup onto Silver’s pancakes. “What’s wrong, dear?” she added when he looked disgusted.

“What _is_ this?” Silver said, dipping a finger in the syrup. “It looks like snot.”

“It’s sweet, dear, you’ll like it,” Helen said. “What kind of Pokémon is Gabriel, dear?”

“The Gyarados I caught here,” Saylee explained. “The one with the red scales.”

“I saw that poor creature in Goldenrod,” Pryce said sternly. “He is damaged. He is an out-of-control menace. Far too much power that he has no idea how to use. Are you sure that you can control him?”

“I’ve trained a Gyarados before, so I know how to handle and train their power,” Saylee promised. “The Lake of Rage is his home, so hopefully it’ll help him keep calm.”

“Or it might freak him out more,” Silver grumbled, licking tentatively at the syrup and briefly looking pleasantly surprised before consciously looking disgusted again. “It’s where he evolved, stupid.”

“That’s what this is for,” Saylee said, holding up the Lure Ball that she’d captured Gabriel in. “If he panics, I can return him.” The rest of her Pokémon were eating in Pryce’s cavernous—and _freezing_ —dojo with Silver, Lucy and the rest of the Pryce family’s Pokémon, and had slept there the night before as well. Nider and Zeb were the only ones who seemed to mind the cold; Chip and Chaz’s internal fires kept them cozy; Tyra and Georgia didn’t mind the cold; Gareth, Alec and Mag didn’t feel the cold; and Siren, like all of the Pryce Pokémon, was an ice-type and loved it.

“Very good,” Pryce said with a nod. “There is a well-marked tourist path to the Lake, it should be no trouble to find.”

“I can show you the way there,” Lucy offered. “I’ve heard about this guy, but I’d love to see him!”

“You’d better train on the far side of the lake from where the tourist attractions are, though,” Lucy’s mother Debbie said. She was a squat woman with short, light-green hair who worked as a teacher at the local high school and was constantly fretting about her students and her children. “Cleanup has been trouble enough for the boys as it is.”

“Oh, can I help with that at all?” Saylee asked.

Helen shook her head. “Don’t worry, dear. It’s nearly done anyway and you’re just out of the hospital,” she insisted. “You go easy on your training, you hear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Saylee said. Silver sniggered. He’d started scarfing down pancakes and somehow managed to smear syrup on his nose.

“You’ve got some training to do too, young man,” Helen said, handing a napkin to him pointedly. “Your table manners!”

{}

The public side of the Lake of Rage had been cleaned up quite impressively, and they passed several people and Pokémon at work repairing the speedboats used for water sports. As Saylee, Lucy and Silver walked around the lake, though, they started to pass more and more debris. They had to climb over fallen trees more than once and had to forge entirely new paths through the trees around new pools created by craters filled with rainwater. The most unsettling things were the random items that the raging winds had blown up from Mahogany town. Saylee couldn’t help staring at a little pink tricycle half-buried in mud. It reminded Saylee unpleasantly of some of the personal items that could be found in “ghost towns” in Kanto. Lavender was a literal ghost town, but there were others—abandoned towns apparently in the middle of nowhere with not a living human soul in them but personal effects scattered all over the place. Some were probably abandoned during the civil war as the humans in them fled, but others had clearly been left empty later, the human occupants all killed off by some epidemic or hungry Pokémon.

“What’re you staring at, you idiot?” Silver said, giving her a push. “C’mon, I wanna see this Gyarados again, he blew the top off the Radio Tower, that was _kinda_ cool.”

“I think we’re probably good to train here,” Lucy said, brushing some moss off of a fallen tree and spreading her jacket on it so she could sit down. “I’ll send Sera into the water to tell anything down there to clear out. Don’t want to freak out your Gyarados, right?”

“I don’t think he’s very stable, so that’s probably a good idea,” Saylee agreed, taking out Gabriel’s pokéball. She watched Lucy’s Dewgong dive elegantly under the water. A couple of flashes of rainbow light suggested that something below needed to be driven away.

“Show-off,” Silver muttered, releasing Tyra. “You’re way better than some stupid, girly Dewgong.”

“I’m a girl too, squirt,” Tyra growled. Mag gave a buzzing laugh at Silver’s foul expression.

“Are you going to tell me that knowing your Pokémon’s gender makes you weak, now?” Saylee laughed. “Lucy, do you think it’s clear now?”

“Clear enough,” Lucy said, giving Saylee a thumbs-up. Saylee stepped forwards, trying not to slip on the muddy ground, and released Gabriel into the water.

It was the first time she’d seen him clearly. He was small for a Gyarados, only about eighteen feet long. He roared unintelligibly when he first appeared, but then paused, looking around and sniffing slightly. Then his snarling mouth stretched into a smile, and he sank down into the water, dipping his head into it and humming.

“Gabriel?” Saylee called. “One of the other Magikarp said that your name’s Gabriel. It is Gabriel, isn’t it?”

“Gabriel,” the red giant murmured, pulling his head back out of the water. “That’s me. I’m Gabriel.”

“I’m Saylee,” Saylee said, reaching out a hand to him. Gabriel peered closely at her.

“You’re _little_ ,” he said wonderingly. He looked around. “The trees are so little. They were big before… why are they little now?”

“You’re a lot bigger now,” Saylee said softly. “You’re a Gyarados, Gabriel, do you know?”

“A Gyarados?” Gabriel looked down at himself and roared. “Not blue!”

“You’re a very special Gyarados,” Saylee said. “But you’re not used to being a Gyarados yet, are you?”

“No…” Gabriel looked back at his tail, splashing it in the water. The merest flicking of his tail had enough force to send waves as tall as Saylee splashing at the edge of the lake, nearly knocking Saylee herself over. Silver quickly scrambled up Tyra’s back as the water lapped at him. “Look! _Waves_! I made _waves_!”

“You’re very strong now that you’re a Gyarados,” Saylee said, still holding her hand out to Gabriel. Despite his deep, booming voice, Gabriel had a childish quality to his speech that unnerved her somewhat, and he seemed slow on the uptake despite having a lot of raw power. “Do you know how to use your power?”

“Power?” Gabriel wriggled his whole body and then roared. Blue fire spat haphazardly from his mouth. Saylee ducked, raising her arms above her head. “Power! Fire! Look!” He swung his head around, randomly spraying blue fire about.

“Make him _stop_!” Tyra yelled, firing a blast of water at one of the blue fireballs before it hit her. “You idiot! Control him!”

“Stop it, Gabriel!” Saylee yelled. “Gabriel, you have to stop! STOP!”

Gabriel didn’t hear her. He was roaring too loudly as he happily spat dragonfire. Saylee raised the Lure Ball and returned him.

“Good job, liar,” Silver said sarcastically. “Your Pokémon’s retarded. Absolutely mental.”

“Silver, be nice,” Saylee said automatically. “It’s not his fault. He was forced to evolve too soon… he’s like a big child who doesn’t understand what he’s doing.”

“A big child with enough power to burn down the whole forest,” Lucy said, directing Seraphine to put out some small fires in the trees with jets of water. “He’s either going to have to learn to control himself, or not come out of his pokéball. Did you see the waves building up from him flapping his tail? If he gets agitated, he could start tidal waves!”

“I’m going to let him out again and try to keep him calm,” Saylee said.

“Well, I’m getting back a few feet,” Tyra said, reaching up to check that Silver was secure and then taking several scuttling steps back. Lucy also climbed up the fallen tree trunk a little, sitting on the roots sticking up into the air. Sera dived below the water.

Saylee released Gabriel and stepped back. He reappeared in the water, looking confused.

“I put you in your pokéball,” Saylee explained. “I’m going to do that any time you get out of control. You could really hurt someone by shooting your dragonfire around like that.”

“Hurt…? I hurt someone?” Gabriel said, looking around frantically.

“No, no, no,” Saylee said soothingly. Gabriel set his head down in the mud next to her, looking sad. “It’s okay,” Saylee said, stroking the crest on his head gently. He closed his eyes and hummed. “Just be careful with your fire, okay?”

“No fire?” Gabriel asked sadly. “I liked fire…”

“You can use your fire,” Saylee promised, “but you have to learn to control it so you don’t hurt anybody, okay? Do you want to hurt anybody?”

“Wanted to hurt the sound,” Gabriel murmured. “The bad sound. It hurt. Wanted to hurt it back.”

“You did,” Saylee promised, reaching out to pet the dark red crest on his head. “You did. So, you wanted to hurt them, and you hurt them. Did you want to hurt me, or Silver?”

“You don’t make the bad sound,” Gabriel hummed. “Nice… you’re nice. Don’t want to hurt you. You’re nice.”

“You did, though,” Saylee said softly. “Back then. You couldn’t focus. You couldn’t only hurt the sound. You hurt me too, and my friends, because you couldn’t control your power.”

“I hurt you? Didn’t want to hurt you! No, no, _no…_ ” Gabriel reared back, shaking his head. “I just wanted to hurt the noise! No… I’m _bad…_ ”

“You’re not bad, I know you’re not, it was an accident!” Saylee yelled. “I’m going to help you, I promise…” Gabriel wasn’t listening again, though; he was starting to thrash about in agitation, shaking his tail as well as his head, and the waves were getting up again. Saylee was buffeted backwards by a wave taller than her. She picked herself up and returned Gabriel.

“So… how many goes are you going to have at this?” Lucy asked. Saylee spat out a mouthful of water she’d accidentally swallowed and wiped some wet hair off of her face.

“As many as it takes,” she said. “He seems good. I don’t want to abandon him to forever in a pokéball.”

“Like it’s gonna work,” Silver grumbled. “The same thing happens every time. You try to be nice and he just freaks out at you. You’ve gotta be stupid to keep trying. What makes you think it’ll ever be different?”

“Same thing that keeps me trying with you,” Saylee said, wringing out her scarf. Tyra and Mag laughed while Silver gaped. “Okay, let’s see if that’s calmed him down again…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now introducing Gabriel the Gyarados as the new teammate! Initially ingame I picked a Staryu over him because I’d never used a Staryu before and wanted to try it… that lasted all of five minutes until a Rocket Raticate got a lucky crit >_> So Gabriel it is.
> 
> (I named him way back before I started watching Supernatural… now the name kinda makes me giggle :P)


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“Hey, it’s getting dark,” Lucy called. “You should go get dry clothes before you freeze.”

Saylee looked up at the darkening sky and shivered as a chilly wind blew through her. “We should go back,” she agreed, pocketing Gabriel’s pokéball. She released Chaz and climbed up onto his warm, dry back. “We’re going back to the house.”

“Is it going any better today?” Chaz asked. Lucy dropped down from her favourite spot on the uprooted tree and sat on Chaz’s back behind Saylee just before Chaz spread his wings and took off, flying low over the lake. Tyra swam just behind him with Silver clinging to her neck.

“Not brilliant… it’s hard for him to keep calm,” Saylee sighed. “He’s got so much raw power that when he panics… I’ll keep trying, though.”

“It’s been three days, do we still have to go this far out _every_ time?” Silver whined. “It’s a long trek.”

“Don’t see you _trekking_ back home yourself,” Tyra grumbled.

“Well, Dad, Alan and Conor will probably murder us all if we wreck their boats and buildings all over again,” Lucy said, leaning against one of Chaz’s wing joints. “Oooh, you’re _warm_!”

“Who’re Alan and Conor?” Chaz asked, glancing back at Saylee. “There’ve been a lot of new humans over the last few days, I’m losing track of them.

“Lucy’s big brothers, you might’ve seen them the other night,” Saylee explained. “I think they have ice Pokémon too… they want to inherit the ice dojo as well, don’t they?” she asked Lucy.

“Neither Alan or Conor thinks I should inherit,” Lucy complained. “They keep going about how they’re both older than me and guys to boot. I told them I’d give up my claim the moment either of them could beat me in a battle. So far, I’ve beaten Conor…” she clicked open her pokégear and opened a text note. “…One hundred and sixty-three times. Alan… two hundred twelve. He’s a lot more insistent because he’s older. Hasn’t helped any.”

“Has P… Grandad had anything to say about it?” Saylee asked. She was still getting used to referring to Helen and Arthur as “Granny” and “Grandad”, but she was looking forward to being used to it.

“Nah, and I don’t think he’ll say a word until the day he retires,” Lucy said with a shrug. “But y’know, for an old guy, he’s not very traditional. I think his pokégear’s newer than mine. As long as I keep wasting Conor and Alan, I think he’ll let me inherit, even though I’m not the oldest. I really hope he does… it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.” She kicked a branch aside, smiling. “I really love ice-types.”

“We noticed,” Silver said, rolling his eyes. “C’mon, let’s go get food!”

“You’ve been eating biscuits you stole out of the kitchen all day,” Lucy said. “Seriously, boys are bottomless pits. When Alan and Conor were kids…”

Saylee wondered if Lucy was the kind of person she’d be if she hadn’t grown up in Kanto. Lucy was two months older than Saylee, passionately dedicated to her ice-type Pokémon, and a far better trainer than either of her two elder brothers. She’d been friendly from the start towards Saylee, excited about having a female relative in her generation, and had just been amused by what a little brat Silver was. Alan and Conor, on the other hand, had been somewhat awkward about meeting a pair of new cousins who were scarred, scruffy and “eat like you’ll never see food again,” according to Alan. He’d shut up when Saylee said that when she was growing up, that had been a reasonable assumption. Besides, it was a terrible waste of food to leave anything on your plate, and Helen’s— _Granny’s_ —cooking was really, really good.

Alan was twenty-six and ran the Lake of Rage gift shops and Lakeside Lodges with his parents, Saylee’s Uncle Graeme and his wife Debbie. Alan had a girlfriend in town that he’d been seeing for three years, and had spent two of those years persistently ignoring questions about when he was going to marry her. Conor was twenty-four and took boat tours around the Lake, as well as renting out fishing and sporting boats.

Interacting with the pair of them at dinner each evening had actually been a bonding experience for Silver and Saylee. While Saylee didn’t like Silver throwing around the word “weak”, knowing just what it meant to him, the pair had agreed to being baffled at how either of their elder cousins expected to inherit their grandfather’s ice dojo when they considered daily training “unnecessary”.

Lucy had also made it her mission in life to introduce Saylee and Silver to the world of “good movies, TV and music”. Saylee had never had time for much beyond radio music—though she now went out of her way to tune in when it was time for Wyatt to play—but she was coming to enjoy sitting up of an evening in the recreation room with Lucy and their Pokémon—some leaning in the open doorway to the garden due to being too large for the rec room—watching movies. Silver slowly joined them, spending one evening watching through a doorway and running away every time they noticed him and the next slowly migrating towards the TV when Lucy and Saylee, at Saylee’s insistence, pretended not to notice him. That night, when they returned home, Silver ended up sitting right in front of the TV again and started complaining constantly about the movie they were watching.

“This is stupid,” Silver kept interrupting a tense fight scene with.

“Hush, this is my favourite superhero movie,” Lucy said, motioning for him to shush. He didn’t.

“I mean, all this stuff these guys can do is just stuff Pokémon can do, and better,” Silver continued. “Why don’t they just send out a Sneasel instead of giving that guy claws? I mean, if they want to kill that guy, why did they go and make him really strong first? It’s stupid.”

“If they were clever, they wouldn’t be bad guys, would they?” Lucy argued. “Besides, wouldn’t it be cool to get a Pokémon’s powers?”

“No,” Saylee said immediately. Chaz nodded.

“You wouldn’t want a Pokémon’s powers?” Lucy asked, pausing the movie so she could goggle properly at Saylee. “Why not?”

“Because it doesn’t work like the movies,” Saylee said darkly.

“Yeah… remember Bill?” Chaz said mournfully.

“The cripple with a face like a Grimer’s arse?” Silver asked.

“Silver, I told you not to call him that,” Saylee snapped sharply. “Tell me why I told you not to call him that.”

“…’Cause he got hurt when his Clefairy died,” Silver said sulkily. “And if one of my Pokémon died and someone took the piss out of me about it, it would hurt, so I shouldn’t make fun of him for it.”

“Good to know you can teach the kid tricks,” Nider sniggered. Georgia smacked him across the back of the head, knocking his hat off.

“Bill was maimed and his Clefairy died because of an accident with a machine designed to take a Pokémon’s powers and implant them into a human,” Saylee said. “…we think. We’re not completely certain, but… whatever it was trying to do, it went really, horribly wrong. He lost an arm, most of a leg, several ribs, a couple of vertebrae, and part of his head. Combining humans with Pokémon is a bad idea…”

_Humans destined to absorb the powers of gods…_

Saylee found herself staring at Silver, who was fidgeting disinterestedly with his fingernails. _A Clefairy did that to Bill… if what the geisha said is true…_

“Ew,” Lucy said, wincing. “I take it all back. Let’s watch something else.” She grabbed the remote and started clicking through her movie collection. “You ever watch the _Crobatman_ movies? What am I saying, of course you haven’t. Get your Golbat out, cuz, this might just inspire him to evolve…”

{}

“Silver, I’ve talked to the local primary school,” Helen said at breakfast the next day. “It’s only about four weeks until the end-of-year break, that’s a good amount of time to get used to going to school…”

“Doing what now?” Silver said, pausing in piling pancakes onto his plate to stare at his grandmother. “Who says I want to go to school?”

“Oh, dear, nobody _wants_ to go to school, but you need an education,” Helen sighed, rolling her eyes. “Besides, the council have been getting onto me for not sending you to school… it’s actually the law, you know.”

“So?” Silver asked, reaching for the syrup bottle. It wasn’t quite within his reach. Saylee tried nudging it imperceptibly towards him, knowing that he’d pretend he didn’t want it if she just handed it to him. His eyes flickered to her hand for a moment, but he pretended not to notice her and took the syrup. Saylee chalked this up as progress.

“Have you ever been to school before?” Arthur asked, sipping his tea. Silver shook his head. “Well, now’s a good time to start, while you’re young. You’re a clever boy, but academically I’ve no doubt that you’re behind a little and that will hold you back here unless you start catching up now. I’m sure you’ll catch up very easily as soon as you start.” He glanced up. “Hmm… is that snow?”

“Snow?” Saylee said excitedly, knocking her chair over backwards as she ran over to the door to the inner garden. She ran along the veranda in her socks, peering up at the grey sky. Tiny flakes of white floated softly past her.

Saylee had read about snow, but she’d never seen it before. It looked like ash, floating softly down, but when a bit landed on her arm it was cold, not hot. It soon melted into cold water on her arm. Saylee then reached out to catch another flake and watched it melt away, enthralled.

“That’s _weird_ ,” Silver said, holding out his hands to catch flakes of snow. “Ow! Cold!”

“Of course it’s cold, it’s _snow_ ,” Lucy said, stepping out with them. “Haven’t you seen snow before?”

“No,” Saylee said, staring up at the sky. She licked at the melted snow on her hand. It tasted fresh and clean. “Wow…”

“Holy Ho-oh, you’ve seriously never seen snow before?!” Lucy shrieked. “Oh, I hope it sets thick, I have _got_ to show you guys how to make snowmen… oh, I bet you don’t know what a snowball is, do you?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Silver asked, giving Lucy a looked before sticking his tongue out and trying to catch some snow on it.

“Oh, you’ll find out,” Lucy said, grinning in an entirely unsettling way.

“Get inside, you’ve no coats and you’ll all catch chills!” Greta said, coming along the porch and shooing them back inside, her short dark-purple hair liberally speckled with white snow. “Go on! I’ll turn the heating up.” She took her custom-model pokégear out of her pocket and clicked a few buttons. Saylee felt a waft of heat coming from the doorway. “Shoo!”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lucy said, retreating into the dining room. Saylee followed and headed over to pick up her chair.

“Snow on the twenty-fifth, just like you said,” Helen commented to her husband.

“Right again this year,” Arthur replied. “I’d better go see to my Pokémon, they do love snow and they’ll all be excited. You look awfully excited yourself,” he added to Saylee.

“Both of the psychics that I’ve gone to about Red saw him in the snow,” Saylee said, sitting down on her seat and then springing back to her feet. “No, I can’t just sit down. I’m sure this means I’ll find him in the winter. I have to start looking. Chaz and I will fly around, anywhere it’s snowing and come back here every day. I think you’ll like him, inasmuch as you like anybody,” she added to Silver. “He’s _very_ strong as a trainer. Much stronger than me, I’m sure.”

“Really? I wanna fight this guy now!” Lucy said excitedly. “Go find him!”

“We’ll take his picture to the police station first, dear, put him under Missing Persons,” Helen suggested. “We can go get Silver some school supplies while we’re out.”

“I don’t wanna,” Silver grumbled.

“Nobody does, dear,” Helen sighed, “but you’ll be glad you did.”

{}

“There we go, the picture’s been cropped down to his face,” the police officer said. Saylee looked down at the Missing Persons screen. A teenage girl with fluffy purple hair was pushed aside by an image of Red’s face. “Visible at all stations and on the webpage. Say, have you tried talking to Morty in Ecruteak? He’s often quite good at finding missing people, although—”

“I already did,” Saylee sighed. “He just got a sense that Red was east of Ecruteak and in the snow…”

“Well, that narrows us a search area, anyway,” the officer said, adding some notes under Red’s picture. “The weather report says it’s snowing all over…”

“Brilliant! Thank you,” Saylee said, jumping to her feet and shaking the officer’s hand.

She couldn’t help feeling excited. If Morty could see Red, he was still alive. He was alive, he was in Johto somewhere, and now that it was snowing, she could _find_ him…

There was a large supply store just down the road from the police station, where Helen had said she was taking Silver to purchase school supplies. Saylee waited outside, watching the snow continue to float on down in awe. It had already settled in a thick layer up to her ankles. While it was pretty, she got very cold very quickly just standing still, so she released Chip and then shoved her gloved hands as deeply into her pockets as she could.

“It’s snowing,” Saylee explained when Chip stared up at the sky in confusion. “It’s time to go looking for Red.”

“So where’ll we be lookin’ first?” Chip asked.

“I’m thinking of starting from south to north, so we’ll go visit New Bark first and sweep the surrounding area, how does that sound?” Saylee suggested.

“That be soundin’ good t’ me,” Chip said happily. “We’ll be seein’ Chet an’ showin’ us how tough we’re bein’! Are you bringin’ Silver an’ Tyra?”

“Probably not,” Saylee admitted, nodding at the store. “He’s getting sent to school. Five days a week, Cresselday to Rakesday, he’s got to be at school all day. I could ask if I could bring Tyra, though…”

“Bring Tyra where?” Silver asked suspiciously, walking out of the shop with a full cloth shopping bag clutched reluctantly in his arms. Helen was carrying three more by the straps.

“I’m going to go check out the area around New Bark first,” Saylee explained, taking a couple of bags from Helen. “I thought Tyra might like to go visit? She’s from there, after all.”

“And she _left_ ,” Silver grumbled. “Are we done yet?” he asked Helen.

“Nearly,” she promised. “Come along, I made appointments with the optometrist for both of you.”

“The what?” Saylee and Silver both asked. Silver glared at Saylee. Chip just sniggered.

“Yes, I didn’t think either of you would have ever been to one,” Helen sighed. “I’m not entirely confident that your glasses are of the right prescription, Saylee, and I’ve noticed that you sit awfully close to the TV, Silver.”

“Well, it’s too far away from the couch to see,” Silver grumbled.

“If you think that, then clearly your eyesight is in need of assistance,” Helen insisted, steering them around a corner. “Down here, just after the bookshop. Anyway, I’d like to get you both checked out and get you proper glasses…”

“I don’t need _glasses_ ,” Silver objected. “I’m not _defective!”_

“Hey!” Saylee said sharply. Silver glanced up at her, almost looking shamefaced for a split second.

“Silver, that’s rude,” Helen chastised him. Silver scowled at her. “It’s very common, poor eyesight. I’m afraid it runs in the family somewhat. There’s corrective eye surgeries, of course, but they’re not permanent and studies suggest that they make you rather more prone to major problems later in life… we could get you contact lenses, if you prefer them to glasses…”

“I don’t want either,” Silver objected. “There’s nothing _wrong_ with me!”

“Silver, don’t you think you’re overreacting?” Saylee said. “If you do need glasses, it doesn’t make you defective…” she sighed. “Did your mother tell you that? Or…”

“Or Dad? Huh, like he was ever around,” Silver grumbled, rolling his eyes. “He always had business stuff. Mum said I could go help him when I was older, so long as I wasn’t, y’know…”

“Weak or defective?” Saylee asked. Silver nodded. “I thought so. Well, you know how I feel about your mother, so I won’t repeat it.”

“Good, it would be boring,” Silver complained.

Helen stopped in front of a shop door, and the motion sensor opened it. “Shall we?” she asked Silver.

Silver scowled into his bag of shopping. “Well, you’re not _that_ weak, even with those stupid things,” he said grudgingly. “Can we get on with it already?” he stomped into the reception room.

“Frankly, I think his eyesight’s the least of that poor boy’s problems,” Helen muttered to Saylee.

“He’s got two big problems. One’s his mother, the other’s his father,” Saylee grumbled, stepping into the shop. “Still, at least he’s stopped running away.”

“Let’s just hope he doesn’t run away while you’re away,” Helen said, walking over to the counter where a middle-aged woman with half-moon spectacles was nervously watching Silver huff on a chair. “You’re the only one he responds to like that.” She smiled at Saylee and turned to the receptionist. “I have two appointments under the name of Pryce?”

“Are we done yet?” Silver muttered to Saylee.

“Please do me a favour and don’t insult or lie to anyone here,” Saylee asked him. “It’ll get us out of here faster, if nothing else.”

“Fine,” Silver sighed. “If you say so.”

Saylee smiled and turned to watch the snow falling outside of the window while the optometrist called Silver through.


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“So where are we now?” Chaz asked, looking around the white-shrouded forest that they were flying over.

“We’re somewhere east of Goldenrod, I think… just keep flying south,” Saylee said, pressing her new glasses up her nose to peer at the map screen on her Pokédex. She looked over Chaz’s neck again. “This is so cool…”

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Chaz said. “It’s like the whole world is in black and white…”

Saylee nodded, staring in awe at the snow-clad world below. She didn’t recognize anything. It all looked clean and untouched, like there was no life in the world at all. It was both beautiful and a little creepy.

“Are we there yet?” Silver complained.

“Hush and enjoy the scenery,” Saylee said, peering around for any sign of movement. Several Pidgeotto flapped by, detouring to avoid Chaz’s flight path. “You said you’d rather come to New Bark than play with the other kids in the park.”

“They’re all dumb and boring and they don’t like me anyway,” Silver grumbled, pulling a large leppa out of his pocket and taking a huge bite.

“That was because you beat up three of them during break yesterday,” Saylee pointed out. “While it was impressive of you to be able to win in a three-on-one battle without your Pokémon, it still was not okay for you to attack those children.”

“They said a specky git like me shouldn’t be so dumb,” Silver said angrily, chucking the core of the berry down into the forest below and pulling out another one. “I’m not a specky git and I’m not dumb just because I don’t know shit about the rise of the stupid Dragon Empire. It was thousands of years or something ago anyway, who even cares anymore?”

“History’s important. This country’s lucky to have some that it knows about,” Saylee said, looking back at Silver, who was eating a large chesto now. The size of some of the berries in Johto was amazing; they had the technology to specially grow them much larger than they would in nature. The chesto that Silver was eating was larger than his fist.

“Yeah, well, I don’t care,” Silver grumbled. “The teacher’s alright. When I couldn’t answer any questions and the other dumb kids laughed she told them off for being rude and looked really mad. So at least _she_ knew they were being dumb shits.”

“They’re just kids, Silver,” Saylee sighed. “You’ve come from a very different background from them. It’ll take a while to get used to it, I’m sure.”

“I don’t wanna,” Silver said sourly. “Besides, _you_ don’t. You still stuff that ugly bag with stuff instead of getting a data storage bag like everyone here has.” He kicked her bag. “D’you call _that_ fitting in?”

“I like this bag,” Saylee said, glancing down at the old yellow bag and thinking of the small bags that most people in Johto carried. Little data storage bags could contain a near infinite amount of items in data form. “I know data storage bags are convenient and all, but I can’t get it out of my head the fact that they can glitch and eliminate all your stuff. Plus, Lucy once said that somebody once hacked into her bag and stole all her stuff. If someone wants to steal out of _this_ bag, they’ll have to be in punching reach.”

“And you told _me_ not to fight people?” Silver said incredulously, pulling a large rawst berry out of the pocket of his jumper. Saylee reached back and stole it from him.

“Don’t start fights,” she said, taking a bite, “but make damn sure you finish them.”

“That’s what I was _doing_ ,” Silver said pointedly.

“Is that New Bark down there?” Chaz asked, looking back at Saylee and Silver. Saylee leaned over his neck, peering at the tower below.

“No, that’s Sprout Tower, so this’ll be Violet City,” she said, “but it’s not far away now. Head more to the east.”

“Gotcha.” Chaz banked and started flying towards New Bark.

{}

“Hey, you be smellin’ nice,” Chip said, sniffing one of the leaves on Chet’s neck. He stomped around a little, melting some snow away so it was more comfortable for Chet, who shivered badly when standing in snow. “What be you now?”

“I am now a Bayleef,” Chet said with a grin, “but look at you! You’re certainly looking much stronger than when you left. Much braver, too. So what are you now?”

“I be a Typhlosion,” Chip said proudly, flaring up his mane, “an’ Tyra be a Feraligatr!”

“You don’t sound afraid of her anymore,” Chet observed.

Chip grinned and shook his head. “I don’t be scared as much anymore,” he said. “I was havin’ this great battle in…”

Saylee leaned away from the window, taking her attention away from the two Pokémon chatting outside as Vera yelled, “here it is!”

“You found it?” Saylee said excitedly, turning and running over to the table. It was covered in holocopies of various documents seized from Team Rocket and leaked into the public domain. Vera swiped away all of them but one, a shipping document of Pokémon sold abroad. Vera scrolled down it.

“Look here,” she said, expanding one listing for five Typhlosion shipped live to Unova. “Three females are listed. No Typhlosion were shipped elsewhere, so Chip’s mother was probably shipped to Unova.”

“It’s illegal trading, so Interpol can retrieve them, right?” Saylee asked. She sighed in relief when Vera nodded.

“Because the buyers are listed here, it should be easy to find them,” she explained. “Interpol should be paying ‘Mr Tritone’ a visit sometime soon, although I doubt that’s a real name.”

“That’s good,” Saylee sighed. “Thank you so much for finding this, Vera. Chip’ll be so happy to know that we know where his mother is.”

“No problem,” Vera said, closing down the holodocuments. “I figure it’ll put me in bonus points before I tell you that I hope you’re not planning to stay overnight because some people are in your room.”

“Who?” Saylee asked suspiciously, looking up the stairs. When Vera didn’t answer, she started up the stairs.

“Just some friends of mine,” Vera said quickly. “They’re about to head through the tunnels to Kanto.”

“Why are they using the tunnels when ships are about to start running?” Saylee asked suspiciously, continuing up the stairs. Vera ran up after her and grabbed her wrist.

“Because they’re escaped members of Team Rocket and their faces are known so they can’t go through the docks, okay?” Vera said quickly. “None of them are bad people. They got in way over their heads like I did and they just want to get out, got it?”

“You’re hiding escaped criminals here?” Saylee asked angrily.

“Only three,” Vera said. “Four counting me. You gave me a break and it’s changed my life, Saylee, it really has. Working for Professor Elm is great, I feel like I’m really making a positive difference.” She slumped, looking down and wringing her hands. “Just pretend they’re not there, Saylee. Please?”

Saylee glanced up the stairs. “Tell them not to dare come out while we’re here,” she said, turning around and heading back down the stairs. “I don’t want to see them, and neither does Silver.”

“I swear they’re not going to do anything wrong,” Vera insisted. “They only did what they had to. You know what it’s like in Kanto…”

“I do,” Saylee said softly, nodding to Vera before going out to tell Chip that they’d found his mother.

{}

Silver clenched his glasses in his pocket. Without the annoying things on his face, he couldn’t see the Professor’s face clearly, which made it easier.

“You’re Saylee’s brother, aren’t you?” Professor Elm said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“I probably shouldn’t have taken Tyra,” Silver said quickly. He wanted to get it over with. “I wouldn’t be happy if someone took my Pokémon away from me, so I shouldn’t have taken Tyra away from you, even if she wanted to go.”

Professor Elm knelt down in front of Silver. “You… were the one who took Tyra?” he asked quietly. Silver nodded and released Tyra.

A large bookshelf went crashing to the ground as the huge Feraligatr materialized. Professor Elm gasped and fell over in surprise.

“Silver, what the hell are we doing here?” she asked, looking around. “Oh, uh, hey, Prof, long time no see. Look, it’s a funny story…”

“My goodness, Tyra, is that really you?” Professor Elm yelped. “Look at you! You’ve evolved all the way to a Feraligatr! That’s amazing!”

“You know it,” Tyra said proudly. “Wait, you’re not mad that I ran off?”

Silver scuffed his feet, staring at Tyra. He still couldn’t see Professor Elm’s expression as he looked from Silver to Tyra.

“Tyra, did you really choose to run away with Silver?” he asked. “You weren’t taken against your will?”

“Nope,” Tyra said, walking over next to Silver. “I like this kid. It’s way more fun than hanging around this boring little town. You better not have brought me here to leave me here,” she said to Silver.

“You don’t have to, Silver,” Professor Elm said, kneeling in front of Silver again. “Thank you for owning up. Tyra seems very happy with you, so I don’t see a problem in letting you keep her. You must be a very good trainer.”

Tyra put her claws gently on Silver’s shoulder. Silver pulled his glasses out of his pocket and put them on to see if Professor Elm was serious. He was smiling gently.

“Th… thank you,” Silver said reluctantly, looking up at Tyra, who grinned.

{}

“I can’t see a thing anywhere,” Chaz said. They had spent all afternoon flying further and further away from New Bark Town, scouring the snowy surrounding areas for Red, but there was no sign of him anywhere.

“It’s getting late,” Saylee noted, scowling at the darkening sky. “We’ll never see him even if… we’d better go back and get Silver.”

“It’ll take another two hours to get back to Mahogany,” Chaz said warningly.

“We’ll go to Cherrygrove and get teleported back,” Saylee reassured him. “It won’t take that long.”

“Cherrygrove was the larger town right by New Bark, right?” Chaz asked as they banked back towards New Bark.

Saylee nodded. “I have a friend there with a Kadabra who can teleport us if the travel centre’s closed,” she said, looking down at Professor Elm’s back garden. “There they are. CHIP! TYRA! WHERE’S SILVER?”

“HE, UH… where the hell did that kid go?” Tyra said, looking around.

“Don’t ask us, he’s _your_ human, you should be looking after him,” Chet admonished her. Tyra threw a snowball at him. Chet thwapped it aside with his head-leaf and it hit Chip’s back, where it sizzled into steam.

A little black shape appeared in the sky at Saylee’s shoulder. It was like a round, unblinking eye with black lines extending from it. It looked like the standard letter “J”.

“He went that way,” the Unown said, extending his tail and pointing it towards the trees behind Elm’s lab.

“Thanks, Jay,” Saylee said. The weird little Pokémon vanished again. He came and went apparently at random, but whenever he did it was with something to say; according to Vera, he’d helped direct her to the right shipping documents to locate Chip’s mother. “We’d better walk. Those trees’ll be hard to see through from above.”

The trees transpired to be, if not dense, too closely packed for Chaz to walk through easily. Saylee returned him to his pokéball and walked carefully through the forest with Chet, Tyra and Chip. There wasn’t much snow on the forest floor, aside from the occasional random clump that fell from the trees above, but there was plenty of ice. Saylee and Chet walked closely behind Chip, stepping in his footprints. Snow and ice both melted under his feet from his naturally high body heat.

Aside from clumps of snow, all of the trees and bushes were grey and bare. There seemed to be no wild Pokemon at all; a few empty nests lay where they had fallen from the trees, but the occupants had clearly long gone for warmer climes. It reminded Saylee of somewhat of the dead, burned forests in Kanto. She wondered if Viridian Forest looked like this now. Fire or ice, the forest was quiet and dead.

“I hate winter,” Chet muttered repeatedly, sticking close to Chip. “It’s too _cold_.”

“You can go back if you’re feeling too weak,” Tyra laughed. “You underevolved squirt.”

“Excuse me for playing with a child instead of fighting with one,” Chet grumbled. “Kris is only six years old. The Professor says it’s impressive that I’m even a Bayleef. He thinks Kris’ll be a wonderful trainer someday.”

“I’m sure she will,” Saylee agreed. She nearly walked into Chip as he stopped dead in his tracks. “Oooft, watch the fire mane, I like this hair!”

“Sorry, Lee,” Chip said, looking around. “But, uh… I’m thinkin’ somethin’ powerful’s bein’ here.”

“Something powerful?” Saylee asked suspiciously.

Chip nodded. “A real powerful fire-type, I’m thinkin’,” he said. “I can be feelin’ real heat up ahead.”

“Let’s go,” Saylee said, giving him a push. They hurried through the forest until they could see a red glow reflecting off the ice.

The red glow was emanating from a wall of steam. It was so dense that not much except for a large, vague bulk could be seen until a cold breeze thinned the haze. Both the steam and glow were emanating from Entei, who was sitting on the grey-green grass with Silver. The boy had one hand on Entei’s front paw. Entei looked up and ran away as soon as it saw them.

“Oi!” Silver yelled, watching Entei go. “Don’t _go_! It’s _fine_! Aw, shit,” he complained, flopping down again. “Why’d you have to scare her off?”

“Because we need to go home now,” Saylee said, walking over to him. Through her boots, she could feel that the grass was warm. “Why do you say Entei’s a ‘she’?”

“’Cause she is, dumbass,” Silver sad, getting up. “We’re going back to Mahogany? Let’s just go already.”

“Silver, how often do you see those three?” Saylee asked, reaching out to grab his arm and stop him running off. “Suicune, Entei and Raikou?”

“I dunno, they turn up a lot,” Silver said flippantly. “Entei was telling me that it was a good thing to do, apologizing for stealing Tyra. I didn’t really _steal_ her, though, she _wanted_ to go,” he added defensively. He pulled a sandwich out of his pocket and focused on eating it. “Siren, too.”

“You should probably apologize to her trainer, too,” Saylee said. “Siren doesn’t have to go back to him if she doesn’t want to, but you should apologize. It was really good of you to apologize to Professor Elm, though. I’m very proud of you.”

Silver froze, staring at her in surprise. He kept staring until Tyra came over and scooped him up. “Aaah!” he yelled. “What’re you _doing_? Put me _down_!”

“Let’s go, it’s cold here,” Tyra complained, carrying him off. Chet laughed. “You shut up, sprout.”

“We’ll fly to Cherrygrove on Chaz and then teleport using Darren’s Kadabra,” Saylee explained, following them with Chet and Chip. “Then we’ll get some dinner. How’s that sound?”

“I’ve got food,” Silver grumbled, tucking back into his sandwich.

“You always be havin’ food,” Chip complained. “You shouldn’t be stealin’ food all the time.”

“He’s still a skinny little lump, don’t see how it makes a difference,” Tyra said, easily carrying her young trainer in one arm.


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“Well, apparently Silver got into another fight,” Saylee sighed, pocketing her pokégear and leaning forward on Chaz’s neck to talk into his ear, “but at least this time he waited in the school office like he was supposed to instead of running away, so it’s progress.”

“What happened this time?” Chaz sighed, peeking around at his trainer.

“One of the boys he beat up before stole his snack and stomped on it,” Saylee reported with a scowl. “Silver beat him up again. I can’t blame him for being mad, that’s a waste of food, but he really shouldn’t start fights.”

“Good grief…” Chaz looked around. “That tower’s where Violet City is, right?”

“That’s the Sprout Tower,” Saylee explained. “Supposedly, it’s held up by an utterly gigantic Bellsprout. It might even give you a hard time, Chaz!”

“Bring it on,” Chaz snorted. Saylee laughed.

The streets of Violet stood out as brown lines amongst the white-blanketed roofs and gardens. All of the children were in school, but Saylee could see numerous snowmen outside of the houses and the school building. A few spots of bright colour were circling around on the surface of the lake; Saylee realized that it was frozen and that people were skating on it.

Saylee pointed out the tall shape of Falkner’s dojo, the dark blue roof faintly visible under a dusting of snow, and they circled it once before landing in front of it. The blue-haired leader came out of the front door of the dojo just as they landed. He was wearing a long white coat and had flying goggles pulled up on top of his head.

“Hi, Falkner!” Saylee called, dismounting from Chaz’s back. “How’re you? How are Peggy and Steve?”

“Cold,” Falkner laughed. “Everyone’s roosting inside the dojo for the winter. You and your flame-tailed friend are most welcome to come in, Lyra! How are y…” he peered curiously at Saylee. “It’s not Lyra, is it? What is it really, if you don’t mind?”

“Saylee,” Saylee said, shaking his hand. “Saylee Pryce, actually, which is new to me. This is Chaz. Chaz, this is Falkner.”

“Nice to meet you,” Chaz said, nodding at Falkner. He stared at the door to the dojo. It was quite small. “Um…”

“There’s a window at the back you can fly in, under the awning,” Falkner said, pointing to the back of the building. “For anyone who’s going a little stir-crazy and needs to really stretch their wings. We’ve got heaters blasting around it to try and keep the cold from getting in. It should be big enough.”

“See you inside,” Saylee said, patting Chaz. He nodded and took off. “I’m sorry I lied about my name…” she said to Falkner, following him inside the dojo.

“Don’t be, one of my disciples was arrested for selling information about registered trainers in the area to Team Rocket,” Falkner sighed. “That Slowpoketail seller you caught before? He was getting calls from the plant so he could go waylay trainers headed to Azaela Town. He was going to give you bad directions through the caves so you wound up at the Ruins of Alph… we also arrested a couple of clients of his.”

“People _bought_ those Slowpoketails?” Saylee said in disgust. Falkner sighed and nodded, scowling at his feet as he toed off his snow boots and left them next to a line of boots by the door. Saylee did the same.

“Anyway, if you’d been using your real name, Team Rocket would have known straight away, and I hear that you have quite a history with them back in Kanto,” Falkner continued. “So no harm done. Well, Officer Looker is livid and ranting about ‘obfuscation of justice’, but he’s got enough on his plate right now.”

“I’ll bet,” Saylee said, giggling at the gawking bird keepers who were watching Chaz swoop down towards them, past the rustling roosts full of dozing bird Pokémon at the back of the hall. “So, what’re Peggy and Steve up to?”

“They wanted to visit while we were in Goldenrod, but we had to leave to deal with business here before you woke up,” Falkner said apologetically. He turned to the dojo and whistled sharply. “PEGGY!”

Chaz and Saylee both started at the huge brown shape that flew down to them from one of the highest roosts. “ _Peggy_?” Saylee said in surprise. “You’ve _evolved_! _Twice_!”

“Indeed I have,” Peggy said proudly, ruffling her long pink-and-gold crest. “I’m a Pidgeot these days, and _significantly_ more badass than Steve. STEVE!”

“Yeah? Oh, hey, it’s Lyra!” A brown blur shot across the floor, and Saylee was suddenly under the impression of being hugged by a long, warm scarf. Steve was taller than Saylee when standing on his hind legs and wrapped around her, smiling at her. Instead of a round, fat body he now had a long, slim one.

“You’re a Furret!” Saylee said happily. “Like Frederick! Only _way_ bigger…”

“Aw yeah, you should see how _fast_ I am now!” Steve said, unwinding. “Watch this!” He shot off and was back again a moment later. “I just lapped the gym!”

“No, you didn’t,” Peggy said, peering critically at him.

“Damn your eyes!” Steve cried dramatically. “Well, I _could_ have, if it was flat. Stupid platforms and steps. Anyway, Lyra, is it true your name’s not Lyra?”

“I’m sorry,” Saylee sighed, reaching up to stroke Peggy’s beak. “My name’s Saylee. This is Chaz, my first ever Pokémon. I’m sorry I lied to you. I really hadn’t planned to catch any Pokémon here.”

“Oh…” Steve drooped a little. “Yeah, I kinda pressured you into keeping me, didn’t I? I’m sorry. Were you glad to see us go?”

“Oh, no, not _glad_!” Saylee insisted, leaning down and hugging him. “I’m glad I met you guys, really. I kinda missed you… but I’m really glad you’re doing so well.”

“And how are the others?” Peggy enquired. “Chip, Wendy, Georgia? We had time to see none of you in Goldenrod…”

“Chip and Georgia have both evolved all the way, and they’re doing really well, but Wendy… she died,” Saylee admitted, her face falling. “A Fearow got her.”

“What?!” Peggy gasped. She bowed her head for a moment, and Steve nuzzled her beak. Then she tossed her crest, looking angry. “Oh, my mother always told me never to trust a ‘Row, and she was right! Tailfeather,” she spat.

Chaz laughed. “Sorry,” he said when they all stared at him. “Just… all that stuff about ‘Rows and tailfeathers. She sounded like Pedro for a moment,” he admitted fondly.

“Yeah,” Saylee agreed, unable to help a little giggle herself as she recalled a little Pidgey and Spearow bickering in the grass.

“At least you succeeded in stopping Team Rocket, though,” Falkner said to Saylee. “That’s what you came to Johto for, right?”

“Not entirely,” Saylee said, digging into her bag for the photograph of Red. “I’m looking for someone. This is my brother Red.” She held out the photo to Falkner. “He should be about twenty. He’s got black hair and red eyes. He might be wearing a red hat and jacket and using a Venusaur, Blastoise, Charizard, Snorlax, Espeon and Pikachu. Have you seen him?”

Falkner looked at the photo and shook his head. “Never seen him before. Where did you last see him?”

“He was last seen at all three years ago, going west from the Indigo Plateau,” Saylee explained. “It’s a little ways into the mountains on the Kanto side. I came to Johto because a psychic in Kanto insisted that he was to the west, and then Morty had a vision of me standing across from him in the snow, so I’m spending the winter combing Johto for him.”

“We’ll keep an eye out for him,” Falkner promised. “You know…”

“You never told me that you trained a Pidgeot before!” Peggy shrieked suddenly, turning away from chatting with Chaz. “Lyra-Saylee-whatever! I don’t care! How _could_ you!”

“Peggy, chill,” Steve said soothingly.

“You encouraged me to stay here because you said you’d never trained a Pidgey before!” Peggy ranted. “ _Lies_!”

“Well, I was pretending to be a newbie trainer,” Saylee said, holding her hands up submissively. “I’m really sorry, Peggy. I thought you wanted to stay here anyway.”

“Sure, training here’s great, but if I could get training this good and _travel_ too?!” Peggy argued. “You—”

“Hansel’s back,” Falkner commented, looking at the back of the dojo where a large Noctowl had just flown in. “Peggy, why don’t you go on patrol now with Steve? And _calm down._ Remember your training. Find your centre.”

“Fine…” Peggy huffed. “We’re having _words_ when I get back, woman! _Calm_ words,” she added as Falkner looked pointedly at her. Steve scurried up onto her back as she spread her wings to take off.

“I’ll go with her, if you want to stay here and chat while,” Chaz offered. He spread his wings and took off when Saylee nodded. “See you!”

“Be careful!” Saylee called as they flew off.

“Come on, let’s get some tea while we wait for them to come back,” Falkner said, pointing to a spot beneath one of the platforms. The platform jutted out from the wall and was supported by two steel struts, and the sheltered space beneath it seemed to have a random selection of chairs and tables scattered about. “So, where are you looking for your brother?”

“Anywhere it’s snowing,” Saylee said, looking around the chairs and tables. She’d never noticed this area before, but then the last time she’d been here she’d been focused on fighting the trainers on the platforms, not what was underneath them. A couple of trainers were taking a break and watching the Pokéathlon on a TV, while a guy was pottering around the kitchen unit against the wall, pouring some seed into a dish for the Hoothoot that was sitting on his shoulder.

“Morty does have a perfect track record,” Falkner said, opening a cupboard and picking out mugs. “His range is limited, though. He only managed to see people in Hoenn for the first time a couple of years ago, I heard. If you’re outside of his range, he can’t see you. Do you want milk?” he added, pouring some steaming tea out of the pot and into each mug.

“Sure, thanks,” Saylee said. Falkner went for the fridge.

“Anyway, he’s never been able to see my dad,” Falkner continued, pouring some milk into each mug, “so I guess he’s pretty far away. Sugar?”

“No thank you,” Saylee said, taking the mug he held out. “Your father?”

“He went missing about fifteen years ago… he went to visit a friend, left the friend’s house and was never seen again,” Falkner explained, adding sugar to his own tea. “I went to Morty a few times, but he never could see Dad, so he must’ve gone pretty far away.”

_“So he’s alive?”_

_“Were he no longer in this world, I could not see him…_ ”

Saylee watched Falkner stare very intently into his tea. “I hope you find him someday,” she said softly.

“Me too,” Falkner sighed. He went to sit down at one of the tables. Saylee sat down across from him. “They never found your father, did they? Pryce’s son, a criminal mastermind… how did _that_ happen?”

“Goodness knows, but I’m just glad it’s not genetic,” Saylee muttered.

“Would Team Rocket really have hurt you, though?” Falkner asked. “I mean, you’re their boss’ daughter…”

“Oh, they don’t know that,” Saylee said, sipping at her tea. “ _I_ didn’t know it until recently. I don’t think _he’s_ ever known. When I fought him before, back in Kanto, he didn’t show any sign of having a clue, although I didn’t know then either…”

“That’s messed up,” Falkner observed.

“That’s Memory Ground Zero for you,” Saylee said, raising her mug in a mock toast. “I need to visit Morty and Eusine sometime over the winter anyway… maybe I should ask him to find Giovanni myself.”

“I think he already tried for the police,” Falkner said with a shrug. “He couldn’t see anything. Either Giovanni’s dead, or a loooooooooooong way from here.”

“Good for him,” Saylee said darkly.

{}

“This place is weird, Saylee,” Chaz said, looking around suspiciously as they walked through the ruined old stone buildings.

“I know,” Saylee said, looking around. “I found Jay near here before. I started having dreams from him saying that I need to come to the Ruins of Alph, though. I might as well have a look.”

“I’d really rather not,” Chaz muttered. “Saylee, why the hell hasn’t any snow fallen here?”

“They have ways to clear it away quickly,” Saylee insisted. “They do it on the streets in towns and cities.” That explanation comforted her. She couldn’t deny that it was unsettling, the way that all of the ancient stone buildings were bone-dry, surrounded by sparse grass and dead bushes. It made the place feel resistant to change, like nothing could or would ever be different.

One building was intact. The worn stone was lumpy in a way that suggested that it had once been intricately carved. Saylee walked through the huge entry archway. Despite the doorway being large enough to allow Chaz to walk inside, the room was as dark and dingy as if it were deep underground. Saylee could only see what was in the small circle of light around Chaz and his burning tail.

The room was empty, aside from a podium in the middle that came into view as they walked towards it. There was a flash of light and Jay appeared above it.

“Saylee,” it said. “Come! This way, this way!” He flitted off to the far wall in little bursts of light.

“Jay? What’s going on?” Saylee called, running after it.

“Saylee!” Chaz called. “Saylee, wai—!”

“Chaz?” Saylee shouted as his voice faded away. “Chaz?!” she looked around, but the light of his tail was nowhere to be seen. When she stepped back to where he’d been, reaching her hands out, she scraped her fingernails off of a stone wall. “Aaah! Ow!”

Clutching her hand, she turned around again. Jay was gone, but slowly, the glow of a fire rose up. Saylee ran towards it, but slowed down as she realized that it was too large to be Chaz.

She tripped over something and went crashing to the ground, scraping her palms off the… earth?

Saylee looked up and then rolled aside as a burning building collapsed, a fiery wooden beam nearly hitting her in the head.

She was surrounded by burning buildings. She could hear people screaming and yelling at each other to run, but she couldn’t _see_ anybody.

“Chaz?” she yelled, getting to her feet and trying to escape, running away from the burning buildings, but she couldn’t find a way out of the flaming city. “Chaz? Jay? Jay, what the hell did you _do_?”

She coughed. The heat and smoke was getting to her. She tried running faster, but heat fatigue was starting to take a toll on her.

Suddenly, she ran past a building and there were no more buildings, open air. She gasped for air, fanning herself and looking around for any sign of life.

Someone or something started to scream, a horrible, high-pitched wail. Another voice joined it, then a third. Saylee looked around desperately, trying to find who was screaming.

Then she looked up into the sky, and through the smoke, a great silver creature loomed over her. Saylee gasped as she recognized the shape.

 _Lugia_.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

Saylee gasped sharply as Lugia loomed over her. She immediately realized that she shouldn’t have done that; smoke and ash was still floating in the air, and she began to choke as she accidentally inhaled a lungful. She slumped to her knees on the cold stone, coughing.

 _Cold… stone_?

Saylee’s lungs cleared abruptly, and a chill descended over her. Saylee looked up and found herself alone in the gloom again.

Alone, but for the dozens of Unown that appeared before her and floated there, glowing. They looked so much like letters— _that’s right, written language was based on Unown, wasn’t it?_ —that Saylee could read the message that they were spelling for her.

O U R C L A N

E N G R A V E D W O R D S

I N T H I S P L A C E

“What the hell was _that_ about?” Saylee yelled at them.

“What the hell was what about?”

“Chaz?” Saylee cried happily, turning around to see her Charizard stomping towards her. “Oh thank goodness… where did you go?!” She got up and ran over to him as fast as possible in case he disappeared, giving him a big hug.

“Where did _I_ go?” Chaz asked, hugging her back. “ _You_ ran off and disappeared! I only lost you for a second, though. Then there you were, kneeling on the ground… what happened to your hands?”

Saylee looked down. The blood and cuts on her hand were still there, at least. She clutched her hands together. “I was only gone for a second?” she asked. “So you didn’t see the Unown or the burning city?”

“No,” Chaz said, shaking his head. “And there’s nothing on fire in here but me.” He flicked his tail, and the light danced off of the walls and ceiling. The room wasn’t large, Saylee realized, smaller than a regulation-sized battlefield. There was no room for a city, burning or otherwise.

“So it was a vision,” she said. “Come on, let’s get out of here and go back to New Bark. I need to find that little shit Jay and ask him some questions. I wonder if we can stop him teleporting without giving straight answers.”

“Maybe Alec can help?” Chaz suggested. “Anyway, what was it a vision of?”

“I think it was warning,” Saylee said, wincing at the stinging pain in her hands. “I think I just saw what happened when Lugia gets pissed off.”

{}

“It sounds like the Burning of Ecruteak,” Arthur said thoughtfully. “Have you heard of it?”

“Was that when the Burned Tower in Ecruteak burned down?” Saylee asked. “I think Morty said that the whole city was burned by Lugia’s rage…”

“Cool,” Silver said, shovelling ravioli.

“Kinda,” Lucy agreed, “but only because there were close to no casualties. We read about this in History once. Loads of eyewitness accounts report that the fires would part and let people out of the city to the lake in the east. People claim to have seen Ho-oh, too, so I guess it was something to do with him. Or her or whatever. But the upshot is that no humans, not even the dumbass research team, died.”

“Research team?” Saylee asked.

Lucy nodded. “That was the reason Lugia got so hacked off, they say,” she explained. “Some scientists tried to capture Lugia so they could study it scientifically. Trainers had tried to catch Lugia before, but it always broke out after about half a second, nothing could hold it. So they used these electrified nets and stuff to try and hold Lugia down.”

Silver whistled. “No _wonder_ it got pissed off,” he said. “I mean, that’d piss _me_ off.”

“Lugia called down lightning,” Helen sighed. “There are some old recordings… video cameras were still a fairly new thing back then, so not many had them, but a couple of people in Ecruteak did and recorded what they could. The videos aren’t high quality, but in the three that exist, over two hundred separate bolts of lightning are recorded—all hitting Ecruteak, which was smaller then than it is today. One hit the Brass Tower and it burned to the ground, killing three Pokémon who were sheltering inside to hide from Lugia’s rage. I guess they figured that they’d be safe in Lugia’s home tower…”

“And Ho-oh brought them back as Suicune, Entei and Raikou, I’ve heard,” Saylee said, nodding.

“So you actually _saw_ all of that in the Ruins of Alph?” Lucy asked incredulously. “What was _that_ all about?”

“I asked an Unown I caught,” Saylee sighed, “but it was very evasive, and it was incredibly hard to get it to explain anything. Apparently it was something that the Unown thought I needed to see… and apparently they have three more visions lined up for me.”

“Trippy,” Lucy opined.

“Why would the Unown be showing you visions?” Arthur asked, frowning. “Their appearances and capture are not unknown, if you’ll pardon the phrasing, but it’s been a long time since they have been known to show any human a vision, even those religious cults who go to the ruins to worship them.”

“That’s right,” Helen agreed. “Now, if I remember right… it’s been over seven hundred years since the Unown last bestowed a vision on anyone, at least here in the Fairlands.”

“Yeah, the last person to have a vision was Sir Olav of Hoenn, right?” Lucy said. “He had a vision of some Hoenn legends destroying the world and managed to avoid it by breaking, uh… ceez it’s been a long time since high school history…”

“Sir Olav of Hoenn?” Saylee asked. “I’m still catching up on all this history, remember? You’re going to have to tell me who that is.” She reached out to scoop some more pasta onto her plate, but the fingers of her right hand stung and she had to switch to the left, which was also awkward thanks to the paralysis in her smallest finger.

“I’ll get that for you, dear,” Helen said, scooping out the ravioli for her. “Well, Sir Olav was a knight from Hoenn, of course.”

“A what now?” Saylee asked.

“Oh, wow, you don’t even know about knights?” Lucy asked, openly goggling now. “Did you have _no_ stories in Kanto?”

“Seriously, even I heard stories about knights when I was a little kid,” Silver snorted, rolling his eyes. “Didn’t know they were still a thing, though.”

“Of course they are,” Arthur said imperiously. “ _I_ have a knighthood. Sir Arthur Pryce of Mahogany.”

“Oh… okay,” Saylee said. “I heard a story about a Sir Aaron when I was a kid, but I thought it was just his name…”

“It is a title that can only be applied by the Masters of the ancient Dragon clan as recognition of those that they consider to be of great worth,” Pryce explained. “According to my records, I was given the title in my youth when I earned the right to challenge the clan’s Master after icing over a large number of his own knights.” He smirked. “Well, according to the battle recording, I lost: his dragons liked ice no better than any other, but they command fire and lightning. Still, it seems he saw me worthy enough to be granted a knighthood.” He sighed wistfully. “I have recordings of myself challenging the old coot yearly until he grew too old to fight. He is over a hundred now, I believe. I never defeated him.”

“They only give knighthoods to really strong warriors, right?” Silver said.

Pryce shrugged. “Those who have shown great prowess are knighted, and not just prowess in battle,” he declared. “Those who show exceptional prowess in certain fields can become Masters… but before you dream about becoming Sir Silver or Sar Saylee, know that neither title is given lightly. The Master was a great knight himself, and it was not expected that I would beat him, but I did defeat another Knight who was an acolyte of his, which earned me the title. You would have to defeat half of Blackthorn under the eyes of their Master to earn a title.”

“I’m not really interested in titles,” Saylee said, taking a quick drink of juice. “I’m just surprised… I’ve met a Sir from Johto before. Again, just thought it was his name… he’s not exactly a great warrior.”

“There are many types of worth, and not all of them involve beating someone’s head in,” Pryce said with a smile. “Although it may surprise you who are great fighters… in any case, the title is not given for nothing.”

“I see,” Saylee said, nodding. “Huh… still doesn’t really clear up what the Unown were up to, but I have some ideas of people to ask about it now. Tomorrow, I’ll head back down to Violet.”

“Lucky,” Silver grumbled. “They’re making me go to school _again_ tomorrow.”

“It’s five days a week, dear,” Helen sighed. “Make your goal a day where you _don’t_ beat up any of the other children, won’t you?”

“Or, y’know, at least don’t be the one who threw the first punch,” Lucy suggested. “You get more sympathy points if you didn’t start it.”

“I know, I know,” Silver said, rolling his eyes. “Don’t start it, just finish it.”

“Sound enough advice,” Arthur agreed. “Remember, Silver, you have nothing to prove to these other children. If they’re wrong, they’re wrong, and you don’t need to beat them up to prove it. It simply puts you in the wrong, too.” He smiled. “To put it in terms you will understand; weak dumbasses are weak dumbasses whether you kick their ass or not.”

Saylee started choking as she nearly snorted a piece of ravioli up her nose.

{}

“There are four intact chambers that the Unown have been seen in,” Mr Pokémon said, producing a map and pointing them out. “Two are only really accessible from within Union Cave, however.”

“I hope they’re still accessible,” Saylee muttered, remembering the damage that Tobias had wreaked with his Blast Burn. “I guess I have to go to each one. Three more visions, three more chambers…”

“What’s that?” Mr Pokémon asked, putting away the map.

“Never mind,” Saylee said quickly. “Do you know the geisha from Ecruteak, Mr Pokémon?”

“Oh, yes, they come by here quite often,” he said, bustling around and organizing his haphazard stores of physical and digital files.

“What for?” Saylee asked.

“Well, roughly the same thing as you, my dear,” Mr Pokémon said, picking up a folder and looking startled to find a cup of cold tea under it. “I was wondering what happened to that cup… in any case, they have often been asking whether or not the Unown have shown anyone visions. They have visited all four chambers before, but I understand that none of them have had visions themselves.”

“They seemed rather put out about that,” Frederick observed sleepily. He was curled up under a blanket in a basket by the wall with bowls of food and water in front of the basket. It looked like he was dug in for the winter.

“Hmm, did they?” Mr Pokémon commented absentmindedly. “They have some very fine examples of Eevee’s evolutions, however. It does seem to have an interesting effect on an evolved Eevee to train with the other evolutions of different elements. They are unusually powerful. I wish they would allow me to examine them for longer, but I only get the chance to see them when their trainers are visiting about the Unown…” he sighed wistfully. “So, are you going to the other chambers now?”

“No,” Saylee said, scrolling across her pokégear map. “I have other priorities right now. There’s no snow there, so it’s not where I need to be.” She hesitated a moment. “Why _is_ there no snow in there…?”

“Well, it never does rain or snow or any such thing in the ruins,” Mr Pokémon mused, “but that would be because clouds split or float around the ruins rather than cast their shadow in there. Flying Pokémon will instinctively avoid flying over it, too, though if you ask any of them they’ll deny consciously avoiding the ruins. The scientists studying it theorize that it was the epicentre of a tremendous psychic event in the early years of human civilization, but to this day what happened there is unknown… heheh.”

“Thanks for your help, Mr Pokémon,” Saylee said, getting up. “One more thing, if you don’t mind me asking… what were you knighted for?”

“Do you know, I honestly can’t remember,” Mr Pokémon sighed. “Must have been before the memory event, eh? I wonder if we could find the Pokémon that caused that, we might understand more about the Ruins of Alph…”

“Yeah,” Saylee agreed thoughtfully. “We might just. Thanks, Mr Pokémon. I’ll be off, then…”

“Visit any time, dear girl,” Mr Pokémon said, waving her off as Saylee released Chaz and climbed onto his back.

{}

“Tobias pulled off a _Blast Burn_?” Chaz laughed as they flew over the hills that Union Cave ran through. They could see Geodude and Graveller wandering around the hills. Saylee had sent Georgia down to ask if any of them had seen a human male around. Saylee was determined to leave no stone unturned, literally.

“So what really is Blast Burn and where did you learn to do it?” Saylee asked. “Chip was showing off about it, but he couldn’t really explain it.”

“Well, while you were away Bill took a trip to the Sevii Islands, and I went with him to help sort out another gang that had turned up on Knot Island, of all places,” Chaz snorted. “There was an old lady there who was so surprised to see a living Charizard that she insisted on teaching me it. Used properly, it’s like… living fire. You can imbue your will into it, and it’ll attack intelligently.”

“You taught Chip how to use it well,” Saylee commented. “He used it in a fight against my cousin Lucy. The fire deliberately split to avoid us and converge on her Pokémon. It was amazing.”

“Chip’s a quick learner,” Chaz laughed. “He learned to control it faster than I did… uh, _much_ faster. He’s very brave.”

“He wasn’t always,” Saylee said reminiscently. “I think he started getting braver after the first time we fought Team Rocket… he’s even angrier at them in retrospect, now that he knows for sure that they were the ones who took his mother. I hope Interpol will return her to the reserve soon.”

“Do you think he’ll go back with her?” Chaz asked.

“I don’t know… if he does want to, though, I want to take him back myself,” Saylee sighed. “I want to see him home safe, at least. Thanks to Team Rocket, I couldn’t get Diana home, but I want to succeed for Chip.”

“You can still bury Diana in her home, though, right?” Chip asked.

Saylee nodded. “I have her horn and one of her pearls,” she said, patting her bag. “As soon as the path to Blackthorn can be traversed, I’m going. It’s the only city in Johto with no teleportation access, or I’d be there already.” She looked up as a stream of fire shot into the sky. “That’ll be Georgia. C’mon, let’s go get her.”

Chaz swooped down to land next to the four-armed Golem. She had sand on her knuckles. “Not yours, I hope,” Saylee said, nodding at her.

“Don’t you worry, moi love, a few folk don’t know how ‘freak’ ain’t a noice word t’use,” Georgia said flippantly. “Ain’t none of ‘em seen a human boy, oi’m afraid. There been hoikers an’ such durin’ the summer an’ autumn, they says, but ain’t none of ‘em young enough t’be your brother Red.”

“We’ll have to keep looking, then,” Saylee sighed, looking up at the sky. “We still have a couple of hours until it gets dark and we have to get back. Let’s go to Azaela. I know a few people there, including a kid who knows the forests better than anyone in the area. I’m sure that if anybody’s seen Red around this area, it’ll be Bugsy.”


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“Need some help, Bugsy?” Saylee called as they circled down to Azalea Town. The purple-haired teen was struggling across the roof of his greenhouse with a panel of glass bigger than he was. She wondered how he’d even gotten it onto the roof in the first place.

“Yes, please!” Bugsy called, waving at her and Chaz. “I’ve really gotta replace this broken panel, but the handyman’s not gonna make it here before the cold gets into the cocoons…”

“We’ve got this,” Chaz said, taking the panel and flying it across the roof until he spotted the pane that was suffering from a huge crack. Bugsy scurried over to detach and remove the broken pane and Saylee hopped down to help, the two of them moving the broken glass out of the way so Chaz could maneuver the new panel into place. 

“Here, let me connect it to the system,” Bugsy said, edging the glass into the small groove in the metal frame, connecting transparent circuits to the greenhouse’s systems. “Thanks so much, Lyra--ah! Sorry!” Bugsy said quickly. “It’s really Sayle, isn’t it? Sorry!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Saylee assured him. “I’m the one who kept running around in a fake name, after all!”

“True,” Bugsy laughed, looking relieved. “It’s just really rude to get somebody’s name wrong, y’know?”

“So long as it’s not on purpose,” Saylee said with a shrug and a smile. “Is the panel in place alright?”

“Yyyyyy...ep! Thanks!” Bugsy said, patting the glass. It was already starting to warm up. “I truly believe that transparent heating filaments are one of the greatest wonders of the modern world. Thanks to you, too,” he added, looking up at Chaz. “What’s your name?”

“Chaz,” the Charizard said with a nod. “Nice to meet you!”

“You want some cocoa as my thanks?” Bugsy offered, starting to walk back across the roof. “I can run down to the woodcutters’ to get some charcoal for you, Chaz. They make great stuff!”

“That’s kind of you, but you don’t have to,” Chaz said, picking up both Bugsy and Saylee by the backs of their jackets to airlift them down to the ground. “Happy to help!”

“This is  _ so cool _ ,” Bugsy said, giggling as Chaz brought them down to ground level. “Anyway, you’re my guests now, so I have to feed you. That’s a law of the universe or something, according to my mum…” he trailed off uncomfortably, giggles fading. “Um… anyway, they’re not far, so…” He knocked onto the glass, nodding to a Butterfree inside and pointing to Chaz and Saylee. “Go on in and Mandy’ll show you the way while I go pick up the charcoal. Be right back!” He turned and ran off down the road. 

“What do you think happened to his mum?” Chaz whispered.

“Dunno, but it’s definitely a sore spot, so I don’t wanna press,” Saylee said with a shrug. “He  _ is _ feeding us, after all.”

Mandy, the Butterfree, led the two of them through the public area of the greenhouse, where Saylee had fought Bugsy, through to the much larger fenced-off portion. Bug-types of every size, shape and colour were all around, flying overhead on wings of every colour of the rainbow, white and silver spiky cocoons hanging among the more familiar Metapod and Kakuna. Bugsy lived in a small cabin in the middle of the greenhouse which was clean, neat and very cute, if you liked bugs. Paintings, photographs and anatomy diagrams of them covered every wall, while models, scales, pieces of cocoons and the like were in cases on shelves and tables all around. All of the windows were open, allowing bugs in and out of the house freely. Chaz poked his head through one while Saylee sat down on the chair Mandy directed her too and started unwinding her scarf and taking off her coat. The replacement panel was clearly working--the inside of the greenhouse was  _ toasty. _

“Does Bugsy live alone?” Saylee asked, noticing the only photograph in the tiny cabin--a picture pinned to the fridge of Bugsy and a couple of other teenagers arm-in-arm. From the looks of the buildings behind them, they were on the roof of the Goldenrod Department Store.

“He’s the only human who lives here all the time, if that’s what you mean,” Mandy said, settling on the table, “but other students or professors from his university come to stay here sometimes to ask us questions.”

“University?” Saylee said in surprise. “I thought you had to be an adult to go to university?”

“The other humans that come from the university are all adults, not larvae like Bugsy,” Mandy explained, preening her wings. “I think Bugsy’s just very special!”

“What was that?” Bugsy asked, stepping into the cabin with a foil bag. “Here you go,” he said to Chaz, tearing the bag open and laying it and the charcoal inside out on the broad windowsill. “What were you saying, Mandy?”

“I was just surprised when she said that you’re a university student,” Saylee clarified. “I thought you had to be an adult to go to university?”

“Usually, but I graduated high school when I was twelve,” Bugsy said with a proud smirk.

“You can do that?” Saylee said in surprise. “My cousin said that here you’ve got to go to school until you’re sixteen, at least…”

“Oh yeah… I guess you don’t have proper schools much in Kanto, then?” Bugsy said awkwardly. He turned and got some mugs and the bag of cocoa out of the cupboard behind him. “Well, uh… yeah, that’s the law, but you can skip grades and graduate early if you’re a genius, which, not to toot my own horn to much or anything, but I am. I got into an accelerated program at Silver University so I could get my Bachelor’s in entomology in two years--meaning I have a degree saying I know a lot about bugs,” he explained to Saylee’s blank look. 

“Okay… that’s…  _ wow _ , Bugsy,” Saylee said in amazement. “I don’t know a lot about university, but that’s really impressive.”

“Thanks,” Bugsy said, grinning as he mixed the cocoa and handed a mug to Saylee. “Mandy, you want anything?”

“I’ll go get some nectar myself,” the Butterfree said, flying up off the table and out of the door. “Told you he was special!” she called on her way out.

“So you have your bug degree… what are you doing now?” Saylee asked, watching Bugsy drop a handful of marshmallows into his cocoa. 

“Well, now I’m on an accelerated course to get my Master’s next year… a more advanced kind of degree,” he explained, handing over the bag of marshmallows. 

“Do you have a lot of classes?” Saylee asked, imitating him and putting some of the sugary treats in her cocoa. 

Bugsy shook his head. “Pretty much all fieldwork,” he said, gesturing out of the window. “I prefer it to being in campus. Classwork is  _ boring _ , and anyway I don’t like going to Goldenrod much.”

“It’s a nice city,” Saylee said, sipping her cocoa and eating one of the sodden marshmallows. It tasted  _ amazing. _ “But it’s a bit big and overwhelming for me.”

“Not big enough,” Bugsy muttered. 

“...You okay?” Saylee asked tentatively. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. I just know it’s not totally normal here for teenagers to be living alone like this, so… I mean, I know about loss, so if you need someone to talk to…”

“What? Oh!” Bugsy said, staring at her in surprise. “No, no--sorry, you’ve got the wrong end of the stick. I haven’t--I mean, my parents aren’t dead or anything. We just… don’t get along. I got myself emancipated when I got into Silver Uni so I could live on my own.”

“Don’t get along? Yeah, I know that too,” Saylee muttered, taking a larger swallow of cocoa and sludgy marshmallows.

“So I heard,” Bugsy said with a nervous chuckle. “They’re not exactly crime lords, so I guess I can’t complain.”

“Hey, I  _ invited _ you to complain,” Saylee said quickly. “I didn’t bring…  _ him _ up to say you can’t. Just to say that I get that just because you’re related doesn’t mean they can’t be shitty to you our anything…”

“True,” Bugsy sighed. “Yeah. Thing is, when I moved away, I thought they’d come visit, you know? I left them my new address and everything, and it’s not exactly hard to find. I thought maybe, if they missed me, they’d realize that accepting me for who I am is better than losing me.”

“Have they visited?” Saylee asked tentatively.

Bugsy shook his head bitterly. “They have called,” he said, “but they… well, they still still talk to me like I’m their daughter instead of their son,” Bugsy said unhappily. “Like I’ll turn into what they want me to be if they ignore me for long enough.”

“They’re going to be waiting a long time for that to work out for them,” Saylee said with a frown. “I’m sorry, Bugsy.”

Bugsy shrugged. “I really  _ wish _ they’d accept me,” he admitted, “but I think I’ll be waiting even longer for that. I can’t change them any more than they can change me, and I’m not going to change  _ for _ them. I’ve got some great mentors and friends at Silver Uni, anyway, and I did make a couple of friends back in high school who still keep in touch.” He gestured to the photograph on the fridge. “And I have all my bug-types, of course! I get to study what I love all day every day--really, life’s pretty good,” he said, grinning and necking the rest of his cocoa.

“This  _ is _ great,” Chaz said, licking up the last of the charcoal dust. “Thanks, Bugsy. Sucks to be your folks, having a genius of a son that they can’t appreciate.”

“This is delicious,” Saylee agreed, finishing her cooling, sugary cocoa. “Congratulations, Bugsy, you are officially a great host!”

“Woo!” Bugsy cheered, leaning back in his hair and punching the air. “By the way, I’ve been wondering--you came here with a fake name because you were going undercover to find Team Rocket, right? How come Kanto doesn’t have schools or universities, but has, like, secret agents?”

“It doesn’t,” Saylee said with a smirk. “I’m just a meddling kid.”

Bugsy laughed, shaking his head. “I don’t know whether that’s awesome or ridiculous,” he said. 

“Why is it only one or the other?” Saylee said, scratching behind Chaz’s ears. “It’s a family trait, actually. That’s why I originally came here--as well as the whole Team Rocket thing, I’m looking for somebody.” She pulled out her pokegear and opened up the Missing Person report she’d filed. “This is my big brother, Red,” she explained. “He went missing about three years ago, and the last we heard, he’d gone west to Johto,” she explained. “You’ve been living out here three years, right? You know the wild Pokemon in the forest pretty well? Do you know if he ever came through here?”

“Hmmm… can’t say that I’ve ever seen him,” Bugsy said apologetically, peering at the old picture on the report. “I can ask around, though. You’re right--my bugs and I get along pretty well with the wild Pokemon around here, and I can ask the woodcutters, since they’re always out in the forest. Maizie and her grandad go all over for apricots, too, so they might’ve seen something. If I hear anything, I’ll call you,” he promised.

“Thank you so much,” Saylee said, closing her pokegear. “And good luck with your advanced bug degree!”

“Thanks, but I don’t need luck,” Bugsy said with a grin. “I’m a boy genius!”

{}

That evening, Saylee was sitting in the entertainment room in the Pryce estate, chatting with Lucy, Silver and Hunter, whom Lucy had for once convinced to join them and watch a movie. She had regularly tried to get the housekeeper’s son to hang out with them, explaining that they’d played together a lot when they were kids but hadn’t hung around as much in recent years (“which I know is because Greta’s given him a lot more responsibility with his sisters away, but it’s just a shame because he’s grown up to be really hot, hasn’t he?”). Lucy had selected a movie called  _ Mankey House _ with the stated purpose of explaining University to Saylee. As far as she could tell, it mostly involved drinking too much alcohol, wearing bedsheets and accidentally scaring a Ponyta into setting the headmaster’s office on fire. A loud musical scene was interrupted by the beep of Saylee’s Pokédex. 

“What’s that?” Hunter asked, staring at the Pokédex. 

“Somebody’s sending you stuff?” Lucy asked. Saylee nodded and flipped the Pokédex open. A folded sheet of paper appeared on the portpad.

“Blue replied to my letter!” she said happily. “What?” She asked when Silver rolled his eyes and Lucy grinned at her.

“It’s from her  _ boyfriend _ !” Lucy teased, nudging Hunter, who went a little red. “Look at you smile! What’d he write?”

“That’s for me to know and you not to,” Saylee said, closing her Pokédex. “I’ll read it later. Play the movie already.” 

Lucy booed. “No, pause the movie,” she demanded. “C’mon, lemme see!” She tried to snatch the letter. “Help me out, Hunter, Silver!” Silver immediately sat back down and stared at the frozen image of the screen while Lucy and Hunter circled Saylee, who dodged them by leaping over the back of the sofa.

“Nope,” Saylee said, putting the letter in the back pocket of her jeans and climbing back to her seat to sit on it. “None of your business.”

“Awww… I can’t wait for them to set up a working phone network in Kanto, then I can just eavesdrop on your phonecalls,” Lucy whined, crossing her arms. “Play the movie.” The movie started playing again as the University parade started rolling. 

“Why do you want to know what gunk her and her dumb boyfriend say to each other?” Silver complained.

“It makes it easier to tease her,” Lucy explained.

“Precisely why you’re  _ not _ seeing it,” Saylee said pointedly. “Now wheesht, I haven’t seen this movie before.”

_ Not the only reason I don’t want you to see it, but I’ll let you think that _ . She had written to Blue about the Unown and what she’d seen. She’d talked a bit about the Unown to her family before, but she hadn’t explained all about what the geisha had said about gods and avatars. She didn’t fully understand or believe all of it herself.

_ I feel like they’re trying to convince me to take Ethan to Lugia _ , Saylee had written.  _ It has to be Ethan. That’s what the Silver Feather means, according to the prophecies in Ecruteak City. Jay claims it won’t hurt him, but Ethan’s just a child… the Silver Feather’s already come to him, and that vision… it’s like they’re telling me not to piss Lugia off, but that’s what’ll happen if Ethan isn’t brought to Lugia soon. I’m scared that if I don’t take him there, the geisha will… _

After that movie, they watched another much older movie called  _ Blitzle Feathers _ which Lucy claimed was also about a university, but seemed to mostly be about puns, slapstick, a lot of different men trying to sleep with the same woman, and some confusing business about spies from two different universities trying to find out the other university’s team lineups for an upcoming Pokemon battle between the two universities. Lucy claimed that the next best movie for explaining what going to high school felt like was about forty-two teenagers trapped on an island with different Pokémon and forced to fight to the death, but Saylee and Silver had both ducked out of watching very early on, when a girl and her Pidgeotto were brutally and gorily murdered by another girl with a Weavile. They had somewhat awkwardly agreed to go immediately to bed after that, leaving Lucy and Hunter watching the movie together, something that Lucy, at least, seemed to have no problem with. Saylee quickly brushed her teeth and hurried to her room, fumbling to pull Blue’s letter out of her back pocket on the way. She had unfolded it and started to read it even while she was walking over to her bed.

_ Hey Saylee, _

_ Too bad there’s no news on Red. That idiot was always crap at hide-and-seek, so I don’t know how the hell he’s managing to stay so well hidden now.  _

_ Those Unown sound seriously messed up. Don’t worry about Ethan; you could always bring him to Kanto to get him out of the geisha’s reach. And anyway, who says Ethan needs to go “soon”? Soon for us or soon for Lugia? Lugia’s meant to be thousands, probably even tens of thousands of years old, right? “Soon” for that thing could be a decade from now. We might not have anything to worry about until Ethan’s an adult. _

_ Still, you should probably talk to his parents about this, you know? They could probably do with being warned, especially if geisha are creeping around their house.  _

_ I know you’ll do the right thing, though. You’ve been stressing out about this too much not to! Besides, according to those geisha you’ve got a Destiny now, right? Meaning it’s not actually possible for you to do the wrong thing when it comes to Ethan. So calm down and for now, focus on finding Red.  _

_ Sabrina talked about him being cold, which agrees with Morty’s vision about Red being in the snow, doesn’t it? Sabrina said to the west, too. But she brought up Silver’s name too. Got to wonder sometimes if that prophecy didn’t refer to Silver instead of Red, but then again, like I said, it matches up with Morty’s prediction a bit too, so who knows. Could mean both. Psychics mess with my head even when they’re not around. _

_ SG and your Pokémon say hi. I haven’t gotten a chance to give your mum her letter yet. We had some pretty torrential rainfall and she ended up staying in Pewter. Could be bunking down with her boyfriend. I still haven’t met him, but apparently he’s a really sweet guy and he wants to meet you, Red and Silver. Your mum’s said more than once that she wants to meet Silver, too. Wonder what she’ll make of him. Or him of her. Have you gotten the word “bitch” out of his vocabulary yet? _

_ Good luck with both your brothers. I miss you, so hurry up and find Red and get him home already, willya? _

_ Love, Blue. _

Saylee couldn’t help grinning at the letter. She read it through again, imagining Blue making exasperated faces at her, geisha and the world in general while writing it, then folded it up and stashed it safely in her bag. She set her glasses on the bedside table and turned off the light before curling up under the covers, feeling fired up by Blue’s encouragement. She wanted to get up early in the morning to sweep Ilex Forest. After a while, though, she noticed the faint silver glow from the feather on her dreamcatcher, and her thoughts turned to the heavier subject of Ethan.

_ “Soon for that thing could be a decade from now”… he’s got a point, _ she thought.  _ The geisha might be jumping the Sharpedo on this. I might have nothing to worry about yet. _

She closed her eyes.  _ Visions and prophecies… who knows what they mean? That’s the worst of it. For all these prophecies, I probably still won’t know what they mean until they’ve already happened… so what’s the use in relying on them _ ?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I am extremely paranoid about how well I’ve written the subject matter handled in this chapter and would immensely appreciate feedback.
> 
> Also, apologies for the chapter being a day late… I got tickets to see Sir Terry Pratchett being interviewed at the Edinburgh Assembly Hall last night, and he’s kinda the closest thing I have to God so I spent the entire day beforehand rolling around in a puddle of squee instead of actually doing anything. The man is a wizard. Go read everything he has ever written ever. He got KNIGHTED for being such a good writer and celebrated by learning smithing so he could make his own thunderbolt iron sword. STOP READING MY CRAP AND GO READ HIS BOOKS. ALL OF THEM.
> 
> 23/04/2017: I finally went back and completely rewrote the entire scene with Bugsy, which I should have done a long time ago. The original version was, frankly, invasive and creepy, and exposed the vast wealth of my ignorance on the subject of being trans, and also somewhat reduced Bugsy as a character to that in my clumsy attempts to write a trans character for the first time. I hope the new version is more respectful and shows off more dimension to his character, and I hope I’ve learned enough to do a much better job writing trans human and Pokemon later on--but I’m cis myself so I’m sure there are things I will continue to get wrong or not fully understand. Thank you to everybody who left feedback on the original version of the chapter, and if I’m ever getting things wrong or just straight-up talking shite, please always let me know so I can improve.
> 
> Also, man, I still remember seeing Sir Pterry that night so clearly. He’s been dead for two years now, and that’s still a terrible loss to the world, but his books are still here, and I still cannot recommend them highly enough. I think it’s worth saying, topically, that his books are by no means perfect--the early ones in particular feature many jokes that are misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic or racist, sometimes in ways that are an attempted satire of such bigotry in famous fantasy properties, some not, and the fact that the early books were written in the eighties doesn’t automatically make such jokes harmless. However, I think an amazing thing that shows up as you read through the series is the way that Sir Pterry either started thinking through the jokes he was making more, or received some criticism on the topic, actually listened to it, and worked to improve--and he really, visibly and rapidly improves in his understanding of gender and race in particular, and the Watch books in particular feature some incredibly insightful explorations of bigotry. Some of them almost read like apologies for the jokes he made in earlier books that punched down instead of up. The important thing about making mistakes is not to disavow them or try to defend them, but to learn from them, improve and make amends. 
> 
> (With that in mind, SERIOUSLY--READ THESE BOOKS)


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

Snow in Goldenrod didn’t really sit. The city was too busy and active. Saylee doubted she’d find Red inside the main city. She and Chaz swept the surrounding areas for a while, flying over Ethan’s grandparents’ daycare and the National Park, but after a couple of hours with no sign they landed in front of Prim’s flower shop to pay a visit.

The place was a riot of elegant glass vases and gold-trimmed ribbon. Half of the shop had been given over to trays of roses in various colours, ranging from Seadra blue to Charmander orange and everything in between. Some colour combinations were subtle, with sky blue flowers mixed with pale lavender ones, and others were bright clashes of Hoppip pink with electric yellow. Holly, now a round, dark blue Jumpluff with light purple scars running down her side, was floating back and forth over the roses and tending to them, but when Saylee stepped inside she flew over surprisingly quickly to hug her.

“Look, at you!” Saylee said happily, patting Holly’s cotton buds, which made her giggle. “You evolved again!”

“It’s all t’ flowers!” Holly said happily. “You should see these pansies we’ve been breedin’, we can get up to t’ree colou—oooh!” She was buffeted slightly from a wave of heat from Chaz’s tail and floated out of the door to spin gently in the updraft, giggling.

“Chaz, this is Holly,” Saylee laughed. “Holly, Chaz, my Charizard. Chaz, are you alright waiting outside?”

“The cold doesn’t bother me,” Chaz said, flicking his tail and watching Holly shriek with laughter as the changing heat current made her spin.

“Hi there, Saylee,” Prim said with a smile, appearing from behind a display of massive white flowers with gold trim on their petals. “Are you stopping long enough for a cup of tea?”

“I don’t see why not,” Saylee said with a smile, sitting down. “You’re looking busy, is something going on?”

“Oh, if you’re spending any time in the city, stay at least two blocks away from the club,” Prim warned Saylee. “They’re in full-on wedding planning mode. We’re working overtime to get all of the bouquets and arrangements planned and planted.”

“She wants pink roses with white-tipped petals,” Holly called through the door. “Mixing colours is _hard_ , especially when it’s white. Roses don’t want to be white, they want to be _colourful_!”

“Someone’s having a wedding day soon?” Saylee asked. “Is that a big deal?”

“Well, a wedding’s always a big deal to the happy couple, isn’t it,” Prim said, rolling her eyes. “But haven’t you heard?” Saylee shook her head. “Well, I suppose you’re not the gossip rag type, are you? Whitney’s long-time boyfriend, DJ Ben, proposed to her at her birthday party. Very big, very public, very _celebrity_. The wedding’s going to be like that too, massive and paparazzi _everywhere_. The club’s a mess of dress fittings and battles over who’s going to be the maid of honour…”

“Um… okay,” Saylee said, bemused. “What’s a maid of honour?”

“Don’t you have them at wedding ceremonies in Kanto? Or best men?” Prim asked.

“Well, there aren’t really any ceremonies,” Saylee said, fidgeting with her teacup. “I don’t know, there might be now. Blue said food’s getting less scarce, so I guess some people might have enough going spare to save up for a feast, like at Langnicht… Mainly, your wedding day is just the day that you announce to everyone that you and your partner are now married and living together. I’ve only seen two… Mark and Janet got married, and that night Janet slept next to Mark instead of next to her sister, and that was it. Ellen and Alicia formally announced it one day, and that was about it for them too.”

“Oh, I see,” Prim said in surprise. “Well, they’re a much bigger deal here. Not as big as Whitney’s is going to be, of course, but… well, anyway, maids of honour and best men make up the two most important people after the soon-to-be-weds. Each partner has a maid of honour or best man—women tend toward maids of honour and men towards best men, but it’s each to their own, really—and they lead each soon-to-be in blindfolded, which can be quite funny if you’re up for that sort of thing at your wedding. Then they swear their vows blindfolded. Most temples and monasteries have their own standard vows concerning their own gods or what have you, but lots of people write their own too. Then they take off each others’ blindfolds, and they pour each other wine and drink from each other’s glasses. There are plenty of other little things, from place to place, but sharing wine _always_ happens, unless one of the partner’s abstaining or…” She made a large round motion over her stomach, giggling. “Traditionally, it’s old-fashioned real alcohol, but you’re allowed to substitute synth. Anyway, then they kiss, then there’s a big feast dinner, and then either a formal ball or a big party. At some point during the party, the new happy couple break out and escape to their hotel or honeymoon, while all the kids get locked up in a room with a TV and the adults get absolutely out of their minds on their substance of choice and dance until dawn.”

“Sounds like fun, I guess,” Saylee laughed. “I think I need to see one of these!”

“You’ll see Whitney’s all over the news soon enough, trust me,” Prim promised. “But I’ll bet that being there live will be a nightmare, especially with—”

“Hello, just when you least expect it!” Saylee and Prim both yelled as Cameron appeared from behind an orchid display, camera flashing. Holly panicked, flew in and hit him full in the face with a puff of sleeping powder.

“What the hell was that?” Chaz asked, poking his head through the door. “Isn’t this that stalker we saw before?”

“We’ll leave him outside of his news office and go,” Saylee said, grabbing the unconscious paparazzo under the arms and dragging him towards the door so Chaz could grab him. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Prim said weakly, clutching her tea. “Good luck finding your brother.”

“Thanks!” Saylee called, climbing onto Chaz’s back. “And thanks for taking such good care of Holly!”

“Good luck, Lee!” Holly called, waving. She giggled as she was bowled over backwards when Chaz spread his wings and took off.

{}

“What the hell are you doing here?” Silver asked as Chaz landed in front of the Pryce house just as he was getting in from school.

“We need a rest,” Saylee said, dismounting from Chaz’s back and holding up his pokéball questioningly.

Chaz shook his head. “I’ll just go nap in the garden,” he said tiredly.

Saylee gave him a hug. “I’m sorry to have pushed you so hard,” she said softly.

“Don’t worry about it,” Chaz said, shaking his head. “I want to find Ben as much as you want to find Red…” he yawned and flew over the house, heading for the warmer interior garden.

“We flew partway into the mountains,” Saylee explained to Silver as they stepped inside. “We’ve scoured every other bit of land east of Mahogany in the past three weeks…” she sighed, looking at the calendar on her pokégear. It was only ten days until Langnicht. A new year was about to start, and she still hadn’t found Red. “It’s too cold and the mountains are too high, though. The air’s too thin. Chaz was having a hard time keeping his tail burning, so we turned back.”

“Don’t Charizard, y’know, _die_ if you snuff out their tails?” Silver pointed out.

Saylee sighed. “Yes, that being why we turned back,” she said patiently. “So how was school? Have you made any friends yet?”

“Nah, the other kids are all too dumb and weak,” Silver said, heading down the hall to the dojo. “We just avoid each other. Classes are boring. They’re either easy or useless. I don’t get why I can’t have my Pokémon.” He shoved the dojo door open, and Mag immediately flew over to hug him. “Yeah, I missed you too, now get off. You’re messing with my hair,” he muttered, giving the Magneton a shove.

“You’re back! Finally! I’m bored,” Siren complained, skidding over across the ice. “Messing with Gareth is getting boring, and I never thought I’d say _that_.”

“Your granddad froze me the last time I left the dojo,” Gareth complained, floating down from the ceiling. “Now I’m stuck here with _her_. Can’t I come with you to school?”

“Silver, you can’t tell me that your Pokémon wouldn’t raise hell if let loose around your school,” Saylee pointed out, watching the Sneasel and Haunter bicker. “Want to battle to let off some steam?”

“All hell sounds more fun than school,” Silver grumbled, “and you’re on. Where?”

“How about up at the Lake of Rage?” Saylee suggested. “I need to do some more work with Gabriel anyway. Shall we?”

“I get to battle Gabriel?” Silver said, grinning. “ _He’s_ not weak. C’mon guys, this could be fun!”

{}

Gabriel howled as Gareth’s Shadow Ball hit him.

“It’s okay,” Saylee said soothingly. She was sitting on the huge red Gyarados’ head, stroking his crest and talking constantly to him. “Did it hurt?”

“No,” Gabriel growled. “It surprised me.”

“You’re too big and strong to be hurt by an attack like that,” Saylee told him. “Use Crunch, but stop when I say, okay?”

“Okay!” Gabriel roared, lunging forwards and catching Gareth in his jaws. Saylee watched the Haunter closely as it wailed and struggled before starting to go limp.

“Stop, Gabriel!” Saylee called sharply. “Stop _now_!” Gabriel opened his jaws and let go of Gareth, who drifted limply towards the ground.

“You suck,” Silver complained, returning Gareth. He flopped down on a fallen tree, now out of Pokémon, and pulled a box of sweets out of his pocket and started to eat.

“Well done, Gabriel,” Saylee said, hugging him. “So, you know why I told you to stop, right?”

“Hurting him too much?” Gabriel said after a moment of thought.

“That’s right,” Saylee said. “Could you tell that you were hurting him too much?”

“No…” Gabriel said, lowering his head to lean it on the ground by the lake. He did that a lot whenever he was feeling sad or confused. Saylee took the opportunity to climb off of his head and onto the ground.

“You’ll get the hang of it,” Saylee promised. “Did you have fun?”

“Yeah! Got to do stuff!” Gabriel said happily, raising his head again and splashing his tail, happy about getting to battle against Alec and Gareth. Gabriel enjoyed getting to use his power, and using it more was giving him more control. He still didn’t really know when to stop, though.

“That’s great,” Saylee said. “I promise I’ll use you in more battles, okay? You’re already really strong, and you’ll get control with practice.” Gabriel grinned at the praise as Saylee returned him and stowed away his pokéball.

“Hey, liar,” Silver called.

“Says the kid who won’t tell me his real name,” Saylee shot back walking over to him.

“It’s a dumb name anyway, I like Silver better,” the kid grumbled. “Anyway. I don’t have school tomorrow. I need to go to Cianwood but Granny and Grandad won’t let me on my own ‘cause there’s no teleport out there for some stupid reason. Like I haven’t been there on my own before _anyway_.”

“I’d be happy to go with you,” Saylee offered, figuring that that was what he was after. “Why do you need to go?”

“’Cause Siren’s dumbass old trainer lives there,” Silver mumbled.

“Are you going to apologize for taking Siren?” Saylee said, grinning. “That’s great!”

“Whatever,” Silver said, ducking his head so his hair fell over his face. “Anyway, you’re going with me tomorrow, got it?”

“Yes, sir,” Saylee laughed, stealing some of his sweets. “Why are you still stealing food? I thought Greta was locking all of this up now?”

“Pfft, she doesn’t use proper locks so she can get in easily. I just steal her pokégear and use that to open stuff,” Silver grumbled. “Anyway, I’m hungry.”

{}

Olivine looked completely different from when Saylee had visited it before. The streets were full of people, since it was the weekend. Tourists and daytrippers were thronging the lighthouse and the market square despite the cold wind and freezing sleet.

Saylee and Silver had met Jasmine in a café on the waterfront, which was full of healthy-looking people eating delicious hot meals. Saylee was astonished by how much Jasmine ate, given her petite size. She and Silver were both on their third plate of scones.

“There’s really nothing?” Saylee said, dismayed.

Jasmine shook her head. “Technological teleporters to, um, Cianwood, well, they’ve never, um, worked very well,” she said shyly. “There’s, uh, some kind of, um, psychic signal from, well, from the Whirl Islands. It’s, um, not considered safe to send, uh, living people over. There’s, uh, an Alakazam at the travel centre, of course, and he’s, um, feeling much better now, thanks to you…” she smiled sweetly at Saylee. “But, um, he won’t take people to, uh, to Cianwood. He doesn’t, um, doesn’t like Lugia’s mental presence very much. The waters get rough if we send boats out right now, but, umm, Daddy has some good water Pokémon if you, uh, need…”

“ _We_ have good water Pokémon,” Silver insisted.

“The weather’s nasty, though,” Saylee said, looking out of the window with a frown. They rattled every time a particularly strong blast of wind came off of the sea.

“Oh, well, the, uh, the sailors, they have, um, weatherproof heated capes, you know?” Jasmine suggested. “We can go to the, um, the port and get you some. I’m sure they’ll be happy to lend _you_ their cloaks.” She smiled at Saylee again. “The, uh, Trainer Tower’s nearly finished, you know? And they’re taking much better care of, uh, their waste. Once it’s done, they’re going to, uh, start on the other facilities. I think the next one’s, um, the Battle Castle, for, uh, the owner’s daughter…”

“Are there going to be a lot of facilities?” Saylee asked, taking a bite of shortbread.

Jasmine nodded. “It’s being modelled after the, uh, the Battle Frontier in, um, Sinnoh,” she explained. “According to the, um, the owner, in the past, Johto, um, wouldn’t built a Frontier because, um, constant competitive battling wasn’t encouraged. It was, um, considered cruel… but, well, now we can, uh, talk to Pokémon, and some Pokémon at the, uh, Frontier in Sinnoh really, like it. Some Pokémon enjoy battling as much as some people do, I guess,” she giggled.

“Well, duh,” Silver said, rolling his eyes and grabbing more scones. “Siren likes fighting. Her dumbass owner didn’t. I mean, people like all sorts of different stuff, so Pokémon will too. Obviously.”

“We, um, get that now that we can, uh, communicate,” Jasmine agreed. “So the, uh, Frontier is being built. It should, um, be really good, uh, when it’s finished.” She burped and turned bright red, pressing her hands over her mouth. “Oh, I’m, uh, so sorry!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Saylee laughed. “So where do we get these capes?”

{}

“Up ahead, Gabriel!” Saylee shouted, pulling her cape away from her face to call directions to Gabriel. “When you get there, curl up on the beach so we can get down, okay?”

“Okay!” Gabriel sang happily. He seemed to enjoy the cold, wet weather. Saylee ducked back down under the hood of her cape.

She didn’t know how it was made, but she was considering asking to keep it. Regardless of the cold and wind, the full-body cape was warm and toasty on the inside. With her legs tucked up under the bottom of the cape, her hands tucked under the sleeves and her hood pulled over her face, Saylee was perfectly warm and comfortable. Silver, seated in front of her, was similarly curled up into a ball under his cape. As Jasmine had predicted, the sailors had immediately kitted the pair of them out in top-quality sea capes once Jasmine had introduced Saylee as the trainer who had solved the water poisoning problem.

Once they hit land, Saylee returned Gabriel and tugged Siler away from the waterfront, where the wind was strongest. Once they were in amongst the houses, they weren’t at a risk of being blown off of their feet. “Okay, do you remember where this guy lives?” Saylee asked Silver.

“…No,” Silver muttered, fumbling under his cape for a moment before producing a pokéball and releasing Siren on the path in front of them. “Siren, where’s your dumbass old trainer live?”

“Why the hell are we _here_?” Siren complained. “I don’t wanna go back there.”

“You don’t have to,” Saylee promised. “But you need to go tell your former trainer that. You’re still legally listed as a missing Pokémon.”

“Let’s just go get this over with already,” Silver complained. “Then I promise we’ll go back to the ice dojo and do stuff, okay?”

“Fine,” Siren said huffily. “This way.”

She led them to one of the nicer houses on the waterfront. It was a sturdy little white one-level building with steel storm shutters closed over all of the windows. Silver scuffed his feet, standing in front of the door.

“Hey, Silver?” Saylee said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “I’m really proud of you for doing this, you know?”

“Thanks,” Silver said quietly, before reaching up and knocking on the door.

{}

“He screamed and hid under the sofa?” Lucy laughed, nearly dropping her game controller. “Man, I wish I’d seen that.”

“Only when Siren got mad at him for threatening to have us arrested,” Silver complained, furiously mashing buttons as his character attacked Lucy’s. “Which was dumb anyway ‘cause it’s not like Saylee stole anything.”

“Have you ever called me by my name before?” Saylee said, so surprised that she didn’t mind that a long-range attack from Lucy knocked her character off the battlefield.

“Got a problem with it?” Silver demanded, leaning towards the screen. “Why doesn’t this stupid combo work!?”

“You’re pressing the wrong buttons,” Lucy said. “Anyway, then what happened?”

“His Shuckle called the police, but when they turned up and Siren said that she was choosing to stay with Silver, there wasn’t anything they could do,” Saylee explained, attacking Silver as soon as her character respawned. “So we came home. And the sailors let us keep those capes, which was awesome. I’m wearing mine every time I go outside this winter.”

“Awesome,” Lucy said, before screaming incoherently as Silver’s character knocked her off the top of the screen.

“I figured out the combo,” Silver said proudly. “Suck it, weakling.”

“You know, this is a great chance for you to learn to be a better winner,” Lucy said, mashing the trigger button repeatedly. Apparently, she was superstitious that it made her respawn faster. “So, what’re you doing now, Saylee? You’ve gone over all of Johto already, right?”

“All I can reach,” Saylee sighed. “I’ll just have to keep going over it again and again until I find him.” She sighed as Lucy finally respawned and landed a critical hit on her. “It’s just too dark to search much. I mean, tomorrow there’s only _two_ bloody hours of sunlight!” She furiously stabbed at her controller buttons as her character got frozen by an attack and stopped moving. “Maybe I’ll check in with Morty at some point too. Make sure his vision hasn’t changed or anything.”

“You guys are coming to Ecruteak with us for Langnicht, right?” Lucy asked. “It’s, what, a week from now, right? You’ve got to welcome the new year with us!”

“Why not?” Saylee agreed. “What’s the food like?”

“Well, y’know, the usual,” Lucy said with a shrug. “Ecruteak’s quite traditionalist, so there isn’t anything synthetic. It’s all wild berries and organic cheese wheels. Oooh, we need to sit as near to the main fire as possible so we can get slices of the Teak Cheese! You have never tasted anything like Teak Cheese, I swear to Ho-oh.”

“Sounds cool,” Saylee said. “I mean, everyone still celebrates it in Kanto, but, y’know, there didn’t used to be that much food going around. We just sat up the whole time, sunrise to sunset, watching the fire.”

“They light the man fire in Ecruteak from the Sacred Fires in Bell Tower, you know?” Lucy mentioned. “It’s purple. It’s pretty cool.”

“ _Purple_ fire? That’s weird,” Silver said. The battle finally timed out and the results screen declared Lucy the winner. “What the hell?! You cheating bitch!”

“It’s well past time you learned to be a good loser, too,” Lucy said, lightly thumping Silver on the head with her controller.

{}

“Fancy seeing you here again,” Morty said, sitting down across from Saylee at the low, old-fashioned library table. Saylee looked up from the incongruous high-end computer holoscreen that she was browsing.

“Again?” she asked.

“I foresaw that you were coming here today,” Morty said, glancing at the back of the screen and frowning a little as he read the mirrored words. It was an article on Hoennian Independence. Saylee wasn’t sure how she’d wound up there from starting on a book about Lugia four hours ago. “Eusine’s hurt that you didn’t come to see us first.”

“I’m sorry,” Saylee said, minimizing the article and leaving the holoscreen transparent. “I was reading some of my grandfather’s history books last night, and I remembered that the archives here are some of the most comprehensive in the world, especially concerning legendary Pokémon. I just got kind of sucked in…”

“I know that feeling,” Morty laughed, looking fondly around the library shelves where the old, physical texts were stored behind locked bombproof glass. “Anyway, he’s over it already. He just likes to indulge in a little bit of melodrama, probably because he knows I’ll cheer him up. So, you have an interest in history?”

“I’m just amazed by how well-documented history is here,” Saylee said, bringing up the article again. It had links to hundreds of relevant books. “Written records going back six _thousand_ years… Kanto’s online infrastructure is ruined. Actual physical books are few and far between, and access to ebooks is impossible…” she returned to the main page of the Global Online Library, which boasted five billion publications in a dozen languages. “If I had any real comprehension of how much bigger the world is, I would’ve been terrified to leave Kanto. I’ve never even heard of any of these other languages. Do you speak any of them?”

“Heard of all of them, and I even speak a little Unovan,” Morty admitted. “I’m not surprised that Kanto’s ended up a little isolated. I’d guess the school system isn’t top-notch, either.”

“The what?” Saylee laughed. Then she sighed. “You haven’t had any new visions about Red, have you?”

“I still see him in the snow to the east of here,” Morty said. “That vision is unchanged.”

“Thanks,” Saylee sighed. “I guess I’ll just have to keep looking until the snow melts. When it does… I haven’t been able to get to Blackthorn, but I hear it’s so high up that the snow stays longer.” She shifted uncomfortably. “No visions of Giovanni either?”

“I already looked on behalf of the police,” Morty said apologetically. “I couldn’t see a thing, which means either that he’s dead or that he’s gone to another continent, beyond my vision.”

“Like Falkner’s father?” Saylee asked. “He told me about it…”

“I have to say, Falkner’s father is most likely dead,” Morty said morosely. “From what I’ve heard of him, he was a very devoted father, unlike Giovanni… not the type to abandon his wife and son to run off to Unova or Kalos. I’m sure Falkner knows this.”

“I think so too,” Saylee agreed, remembering Falkner’s sad smile when he spoke of his father. “I can understand that, I guess…” she closed the holoscreen window off entirely. “Until you said that you couldn’t see Red unless he was still in this world, part of me had given him up for dead, but the rest of me was desperate to believe that, until I saw the body…”

“There’s nothing wrong with hope,” Morty said reassuringly.

Saylee smiled. “Thank you, Morty,” she said. “Thanks for looking. Thanks for hope.”

“It’s what I do,” Morty said with a smile. “How’s your other brother?”

“Silver’s… not enjoying school, but he’s yet to run away,” Saylee sighed. “Hey, Morty? The first time I met you, you assumed he was my little brother. How did you know? That Silver was my half-brother? Or did you just assume it?”

“No, I think I premembered it,” Morty said bashfully. He caught Saylee’s bemused look. “It’s a word Eusine made of for when I… it’s not quite having a vision, but sometimes I remember things that haven’t happened yet. I think I premembered you telling me right now.”

“That is _weird_ ,” Saylee laughed. Morty laughed too. Saylee’s laugh faded as she watched Morty. “I was reading about Ho-oh too. You said it brought Suicune, Entei and Raikou back from the dead, right? And ever since, they’ve only ever been seen near where Ho-oh’s supposed to be. They’re Ho-oh’s servants, right?”

“That’s right,” Morty confirmed. “They serve Ho-oh in gratitude for the lives that were restored to them.”

“Have you ever seen them?” Saylee asked.

Morty shook his head. “I saw a flash of them that day at Burned Tower when we first met,” he said, “but not since, no. Why?”

“Do you know what gender they are?” Saylee asked tentatively.

Morty looked confused. “There’s no record of what gender the deceased Pokémon were,” he said.

“They’re female,” Saylee said softly. “According to someone I know. He’s seen them a lot. They keep appearing around him… watching him. He knows when they’re there, says that they’re female ‘because they are’, and says he’s had dreams about them.” Morty was going pale. “Morty, I don’t know how to say this, but… I think Ho-oh chose its avatar a long time ago, and I don’t think it chose you. I’m sorry.”

“I have seen Ho-oh coming soon, but I have never seen to whom,” Morty said quietly. “I see. When the Beasts awoke in Burned Tower… it was not for me or Eusine, and I assume it was not for you?”

“Nope,” Saylee said uncomfortably. “I’m sorry, Morty…”

“Stop apologizing. Such choices are not made by you,” Morty said with a slight smile, before sighing and slumping on the desk. “So I am no avatar…”

“No… wait, maybe,” Saylee said, frowning. “That… felt like a lie, when I was about to say that you weren’t an avatar. I think you are, just not Ho-oh’s…” she rubbed her head. “Maybe this is that sense the geisha were talking about? But… well, when I say you’re not an avatar, I feel uncomfortable, like I’m telling a lie,” she tried to explain. “But if I say you were chosen, just not by Ho-oh, it feels… right…”

“I see…” Morty said thoughtfully, perking up a little. “Perhaps you have developed a sense about such things. You seem different, somehow, to when I first met you.”

“Were you afraid?” Saylee couldn’t help asking. “I think the avatar might even have been chosen at birth… about ten years ago. Were you really scared that you’d lost your chance?”

“Ten years ago?” Morty asked. “It was a little more than ten years ago that I left the monastery, which forbade relationships, to be with Eusine. The timing unsettled me. That is all.”

“If Ho-oh _had_ chosen a different avatar because of that, would you regret it?” Saylee asked.

“Well… it was something I thought about when I left,” Morty admitted. “But when I tried to keep Ho-oh in mind, all I could think of was how afraid I was that I would never see Eusine again when he left the city. Knowing the possibility of losing Ho-oh, I still chose Eusine. So no, I wouldn’t regret it. How could I?”

“Have you told him that?” Saylee asked. “I saw him a while ago and he was worrying that you sometimes regretted leaving the monastery.”

“Eusine thinks that?” Morty said in surprise. “He’s never said anything…”

“Guess you’re not that psychic,” Saylee laughed.

Morty nodded distractedly, standing up. “I’d better go,” he said. “You’re welcome to come visit any time, though. I’ll put the tea on when I see you coming.”

“I know you will,” Saylee laughed, pulling up the book browser again as she watched him go. “See you!”

 _Now what should I actually have been looking at_? She thought, before searching “ _Sir Olav of Hoenn_ ”. _Let’s see what the Unown tend to tell people about…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most frequently asked question: why is Silver being made to go to school and Saylee isn’t? Quite simply, Saylee’s over 16, so she’s not legally required to be in school like Silver is, and it’d be fairly pointless anyway since either she’d have to be in class with kids years and years younger than her or she’d get half of her last year of high school, in which time there’s no way she’d catch up. She’s never had any formal education before, so she’d be painfully out of her depth surrounded by kids doing their Highers and getting ready for University. In any case, she can be considered vocationally trained :P


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“Everyone get their naps?” Helen asked as they gathered outside the Pryce mansion. “Right, Arthur and I will go on Siobahn.” She gestured to her huge old bird, like a Pidgeot with grey-and-black feathers and a sharp red crest. She was a Staraptor, according to Helen, a fairly common bird in her native Sinnoh. “Saylee, dear, you have a Charizard, yes? You, Lucy and Silver can fly on him, right? Your parents and brothers have already gone with your mother’s Kirlia, Lucy,” she added.

“Why don’t we teleport to Ecruteak?” Saylee asked. Arthur shook his head.

“The travel centre will be mobbed,” he sight. “Far better to fly and get good seats by the main fire.” He climbed up behind his wife and they flew away.

“We’re going to Ecruteak,” Saylee said, releasing Chaz. “Ready for the new year?”

“Is it that time already?” Chaz said, stooping down to let Saylee climb up onto his back.

“Why do we have to go all the way to Ecruteak?” Silver whined as he climbed up on Chaz’s back behind Saylee. “Can’t we just build a bonfire here?”

“I suppose, but we always go to Ecruteak,” Lucy said, sitting behind him. Chaz was big enough these days to carry the three of them—or two and a half, as he’d put it, which had pissed off Silver no end. “Some people only go for a few hours, but Granny and Grandad have always insisted on staying the full run, so seriously, I hope you had a good long nap. They build their main fire out of the Sacred Fire torches all around the Bell Tower. It looks _amazing_ , and if you look into the flames long enough, you can _see_ stuff.”

“But if you stare into the flames for the full twenty-three hours, you’ll ruin your eyesight and be ridiculously tired at the end to boot, so don’t,” Saylee added. “Everyone on securely? Right then, Chaz, up and away!”

“Whoa!” Lucy shrieked in surprise when Chaz spread his wings and lifted them into the air in a blast of warm wind. Silver reflexively grabbed the back of Saylee’s coat to steady himself as Chaz’s neck rocked. Saylee was quite glad when he didn’t let go.

Sailing from Ecruteak was a long, roundabout route around the mountain, which was why the boat had left hours ago. As the Charizard flew, however, it was much quicker, taking less than an hour. The sun was already sitting on the horizon when they landed. The last day of Darnua was barely over an hour long, and Saylee recalled earlier years in Kanto where there was no light at all for days at a time.

“Good timing!” Lucy declared as they climbed off of Chaz’s back. “C’mon, we’d better get a shift on to be at the firepit before the sun’s completely down. Don’t want to be out in the dark without a fire on Langnicht.”

“I think we’d be fine,” Saylee said, giving Chaz a hug.

“I’m not scared of the dark,” Silver grumbled. “Anyway, Siren and all your Pokémon are gonna be out with no fire.”

“They’re _ice-types_ ,” Lucy sighed. “They do their own thing. Oh, there’s the others. CONOR! ALAN! OI!”

The Pryce clan had claimed a good spot and were keeping it by dint of Sir Arthur Pryce’s icy glares. Wyatt, Moll and Von had come up from Goldenrod, as well. Wyatt had a portable keyboard with him, evidently planning to play along to some of the Langnicht songs.

“So, how do you celebrate Langnicht in Kanto?” Debbie asked. Saylee and Silver exchanged looks.

“I don’t know that celebrate is the right word,” Saylee said.

“Sounds like it’s a party or something,” Silver agreed. “We just go outside, and there’s a big bonfire, and Mum won’t let me sleep or speak…” he trailed off, frowning.

“Sleeping was fine in our group, so long as _someone_ was awake to keep guard and keep the fire burning, but it was like that anyway back when we were roaming,” Saylee explained. “I guess the difference was that we’d sing… when I was little, I used to fall asleep to the singing, right in Mum’s lap.” She smiled. “Or in a pile with the other kids… I don’t know if it was the singing or the extra-large fire or what, but it was the only time of year we felt really _safe_ …”

“ _We_ were fine, we had a great big compound with lots of guards,” Silver declared.

“Well… nothing’s going to attack you _here_ ,” Alan said, looking up at the high wooden walls around the monastery grounds. “What about dinner? You guys have had cheese wheels, right?”

“Lucy said that before. What _are_ those?” Silver said, frowning. “I don’t want to eat anything that’s been rolling around on the ground.”

“We didn’t eat anything special,” Saylee said. “Just whatever we had, which sometimes was nothing. What do you guys eat?”

“I told you! How deprived _are_ they?” Lucy told her brothers. “Just wait until you try the cheese! And the mulled wine! You’re just a kid, but you can have a little too, since it’s not like it’s real alcohol,” she added to Silver, who just looked confused.

“Is everyone else coming out?” Chaz asked Saylee. She nodded, letting out Chip, Georgia and Nider. Silver followed suit, releasing Tyra, Zeb, Mag and Alec. Siren had gone to the Ice Path with the Pokémon of Lucy and her brothers, and Gareth had already flitted off to wherever the shadows went on Langnicht.

“Wow,” Chip said, staring at the bonfire in awe. “This be pretty special!”

“A flame is something rather special, is it not?” Alec said, smiling at the dancing purple fire. “It is said that such a thing was lit by Ho-oh itself, thousands of years ago…”

“Hush now,” Helen said. “It’s nearly sunset!” They turned their eyes back to the bonfire as the last light of day died down. Saylee gasped involuntarily as she saw who was standing around the fire.

“It’s _them_!” Georgia said, pointing with both her right hands. “What’re _they_ doin’ ‘ere?”

“The geisha?!” Saylee said in surprise. Five geisha were there. Saylee had never seen more than one in the same place and hadn’t entirely believed the woman in the hospital when she’d said there _was_ more than one. They were standing around the huge purple fire as the last of the sunlight vanished, all dressed in identical golden kimono that glowed in the light of the fire. There were another seven women in yellow kimono, with simpler hairstyles and lighter makeup than the golden five. Sitting around them were nine teenagers in orange kimono and eleven young girls in red.

All around the geisha were dozens of members of the Eevee line—little Eevee themselves, along with a score of Vaporeon, Jolteon, Glaceon and Flareon, as well as a number of elements that Saylee didn’t recognize. Her Pokédex identified the pink one with the forked tail as Espeon, a psychic, and the black one with glowing yellow markings as the dark-type Umbreon, but it didn’t know the pale yellow one with a leaflike tail. There was a slender pink one with what looked like bows and ribbons on its head, too, that the Pokédex couldn’t identify. Saylee wondered how many elements Eevee could take on.

“You know them?” someone asked. Saylee looked up and grinned as she waved Bill over.

“Shh!” several people hissed as he limped over to sit by Saylee. Prim and Holly were with him. Saylee gave Holly a hug as the Jumpluff floated over to her, before going over to greet the other Pokémon, which drew more hisses to be quiet.  Some of the shushers dropped their stern expressions and quickly looked away when Bill’s scars caught the firelight.

“Hi there, kid,” Bill said, nodding to Silver.

“Hi… Bill,” Silver said, looking a little off-guard at being directly addressed. Something in his tone still said “cripple”, but at least he was making progress.

“Didn’t expect to see you here,” Saylee whispered. One of the girls in orange had started beating out a steady rhythm on small drums. “Either of you.”

“I should say the same about you,” Bill said, sitting down carefully. Prim helped support him so he wouldn’t just topple off his wooden leg. “I heard you were staying in Johto over the winter. Have you met Prim?”

“Yeah,” Saylee murmured, smiling at the flower shop owner. “Holly used to travel with me a little. How are you?”

“Business is booming, thanks to your Holly,” Prim said, looking fondly at the Jumpluff who was playing in the gusts of heat from the fire and the fires of Chip and Chaz. “We’re on track to be ready in time for the wedding with all of Whitney’s orders…” she fell silent as another of the girls in orange started playing the flute, weaving their whistling wail in and out of the drumbeats.

The five golden geisha snapped open pale fans. They seemed to be painted with flame patterns that appeared to come alive and flicker in the light of the bonfire. They all stretched out their arms in unison, then stepped forwards and began to dance in a circle around the bonfire.

It was a slow, elegant dance, consisting of controlled arm and head movements in unison and clever use of the fans to make it look as if fire was dancing in the women’s hands.

In a ring around the golden geisha, the seven women in yellow started dancing. Each was with a different evolution of Eevee, using their own plain fans of different colours to match the element of the Eevee with which they were dancing. A third girl in orange had small harp that she began to pluck at as one of the little girls in red began to sing.

“Each of those little girls will sing for an hour, and they’ll do that twice,” Wyatt whispered to Saylee and Silver. “All the way from sunrise to sunset, they’ll be singing. For the last hour, everyone’ll sing. Everyone calls it singing in the sun. Those girls in orange play in three hour shifts three times. The last two hours, they’ll all play. The ladies in yellow, they don’t dance the whole time, and there’s a bunch of different Eeeveelutions that switch in and out with them. But those five…” He pointed at the five women in gold, with flames in their hands. “They won’t stop dancing from dusk till dawn. It’s pretty incredible.”

“Wow…” Saylee breathed in awe. Wyatt turned around to pull faces at people telling him to hush.

{}

Three hours in, to mass joy, the food came out.

“You take one out to eat and pass it along,” Helen said, handing a large wicker basket of berries to Silver. “Don’t steal great handfuls like you usually do, dear, about fifty of these will be making their rounds.” Silver picked out a razz berry and then passed the basket to Lucy.

“Has someone eaten all the pecha already?” Lucy complained, picking through the basket for one of the pink berries. “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” Saylee said, taking the basket and immediately homing in on a rawst berry before holding the basket out to their Pokémon. “Anyone want a berry?”

“Aye,” Chip said, going for the same cheri berry that Chaz did. “Oh, sorry, you be ‘avin’ it,” he said, going for a passho berry instead.

“Thanks,” Chaz said, taking the cheri and backing away to allow the others room to get berries. He and Chip had been watching the bonfire with steady and utter focus since it ignited, and as soon as they had their food they returned to their watch. Everyone had been quietly and contemplatively watching the fire and the dancing, but once the first lot of food started going around people started chatting quietly again.

“So, what do you usually eat at Langnicht?” Aunt Debbie asked as she handed Saylee a chunk of bread, hollowed out to hold a soft lump of yellow cheese.

“Whatever we have,” Saylee said with a shrug. “I remember one year, I must have been about… eight? We managed to trade with a flock of Spearow for some of theirs that had died in the cold. We ate pretty good that night.”

“You… ate Spearow?” Debbie said, looking rather sick.

“They were already dead,” Saylee said defensively.

“What did you trade with them?” Alan asked, halfway between curiosity and apprehension.

“A guy called Matt, he’d just starved to death,” Saylee said, licking at the cheese. “We ate alright, and so did they. What?” she said, catching their expressions. “Well, you can’t eat your _own_ dead, can you? You’d probably go blind or something.”

“Nobody had anything to say about giving away his body like that?” Helen asked in gentle but evident surprise.

“His sister did,” Saylee said, taking a nibble of cheese. “She said, ‘is it cooked yet? Hurry up, I haven’t eaten for four days!’ And then she got in a fight with Mum because she wanted to feed us kids first. We hadn’t eaten for days either, and I was really sick with something. After we’d eaten, we prayed for Matt and the Spearow over the fire.”

“We ate Pokémon that died in the cages a lot,” Silver said, tearing into his own bread. “When my Pidgey died, they made nuggets out of him, and mum was going to eat them for dinner. I stole ‘em and buried ‘em under a tree, though.” He ate a big bite of bread and cheese. “He was _mine_.”

“Oh my gods…” Debbie gasped, trying to hug him. He ducked and scurried away from her.

“What d’you think you’re _doing_?” he yelped. “I nearly dropped my food!”

“Is this that Teak Cheese you were telling us about?” Saylee asked Lucy, forcibly changing the subject.

“What? Um, no, that should come around about midnight,” Lucy said. “Oh, but hey, the pie’s about to come around, make sure you get a slice!”

“You guys are seriously going back to Kanto?” Wyatt asked, staring at Saylee. Saylee nodded. “ _Why_?”

“My mum’s there, and so are my friends,” Saylee said with a shrug, finishing off her bread. Cheese had melted and soaked into the bottom. It was _delicious_. “Besides, it’s where I grew up. It’s home, no matter how much it sucks.”

“And _man_ , does it suck,” Silver agreed.

“Not arguing with that assessment,” Wyatt muttered.

“Are you going to go visit your mother before you go?” Helen asked Silver, smiling encouragingly.

“No,” he said immediately. “Where’s that pie?”

{}

“Man, they’re still _going_?” Nider said, watching the geisha women dance. The sixth little girl was singing, the third round of girls in orange were getting ready to play, and the women in yellow were just switching out with seven other women in yellow. The women in gold were still going, though, fiery fans still flashing as they danced.

“Got more energy’n a Machop, don’t they?” Georgia agreed. “Look at ‘em go!”

“Tyra, where’s your mate Zeb gone?” Chip asked. Tyra looked around vaguely.

“Dunno,” she said with a shrug. “Must’ve flown off somewhere.”

“A Golbat heard of Zubat in the trees, and did go to join them,” Alec said. He was meditating cross-legged in the air. “A Golbat will returned when called.”

“Ceez, you’re weird,” Nider grumbled, tugging at his hat and looking back up at the sky.

“Whoi d’you keep doin’ that, moi love?” Georgia asked. Nider glanced down at her.

“Lookin’ at the moon, ain’t I?” he said. “Longest time it’s in the sky all year. Great, innit?” They all turned their gaze back up to the great silver shape hanging in the sky, looking roughly three-quarters full. It was large and clear enough to see the dark patterns of its surface.

“Didn’t know you be likin’ the moon so much, Nider,” Chip commented.

“Nidoking do evolve with a moon stone,” Chaz pointed out, glancing briefly at the moon before turning his gaze back to the flickering purple fire. “I suppose it matters to them.”

“’Course it does, it’s the _moon_ ,” Nider grumbled, as if that explained everything.

“Wonder what sort o’ rock it’s made o’,” Georgia said, continuing to stare up at it.

“Tryin’ to shoot for the moon now you’re in the sunlight?” Nider snarked.

“Whoi not?” Georgia said with a complicated shrug. “Got t’ave somethin’ t’aim for, don’t you? Else what’s the point?”

“Fair enough,” Tyra agreed, glancing at her trainer who was grudgingly answering questions his cousins were shooting at him. “Humans do it too, don’t they?”

“They get distracted more easily,” Chaz sighed. “Saylee’s been looking for her brother for more than two years. He’s the trainer of my friend Ben. We can’t find Ben until we find Red.”

“What’s your human after, anyway?” Nider asked Tyra.

“When I met him, he was hella lonely,” Tyra said with a shrug. “I think he really wanted a family to look after him. So…” she grinned as she watched Silver stealing pinches of Saylee’s scone and Saylee pretending not to notice. “Wonder what he wants now?”


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“Ooft, never done _that_ before,” Saylee sighed, flopping back down on her seat with a glass of mulled wine. Silver had already escaped and had found another hunk of bread and cheese somewhere, which he was consuming while watching the geisha dancers change around the central fire.

“What, never?” Wyatt laughed, sitting down next to her and grabbing his keyboard from under the seat, beginning to play along with the quick music. Only a few people were scattered around the seats, eating and watching the geisha continue to dance. Most people were dancing around the smaller fires. The dancing was very fast and always done in at least a pair, although trios were currently dancing what, if Saylee heard the name correctly, was called the Dashing White Sergeant. Saylee had already done the Sinnoh Barn Dance, the Gay Gordons, Strip the Willow and the Eightsome Reel. She’d never heard of or done any of the dances before, but the band came with a caller who sang out the steps. There were so many dances and they moved so fast that even the people who knew the dances seemed grateful for the assistance in keeping up.

“Never,” Saylee said, sipping her wine. It was warm and slightly spicy. “We mostly huddled by the fire rather than dancing.”

“Dancing keeps you warmer,” Wyatt laughed. “D’you need that in Kanto? I heard it was all environmental meltdown, no plants, just dust and hot sun like Orre.”

“There’s plants, they’re just grey and limp and generally poisonous,” Saylee sighed. “I saw photos of Orre in the library. Kanto doesn’t look anything like it. To be honest, it’s a lot like Johto… at least, if you smashed most of the buildings and painted everything gray.”

“Ew,” Wyatt said with a wince. “Oh, hey, just a mo! HEY YOU! OVER HERE! WE WANT ONE!” he jumped up and waved to a man carrying an odd-looking camera. “C’mon, get Luce away from that sailor bloke so we can have a pic.”

“Everybody smile and wave!” the man said, raising the camera.

“You two get one and I’ll go get Luce,” Wyatt said, setting his keyboard down and running off. Silver shuffled over next to Saylee, scowling on principle.

“Come on, smile for the photo,” Saylee said, smiling and waving. Silver just ducked his head. Saylee pushed his hair off of his face, and he slapped her hand away.

“There we go,” the photographer said as the camera whirred. “It’ll be out in a tick.”

“You weren’t smiling,” Saylee admonished Silver.

“Who says I have to?” he said with a scowl, watching the camera slowly churn out a picture. “That’s a _slow_ -ass camera.”

“It’s not just a photo,” the photographer chuckled, handing it to Saylee. She glanced at the back; lines of paper-thin circuits glittered in the firelight. “Haven’t you had a giffie before?”

“A what?” Saylee asked, turning it back over. When her thumb brushed the front of the photo, it _moved_ , showing her waving and Silver ducking his head before she brushed his hair away. Then it flickered and returned to the first still image. Saylee tapped it again, and it moved again.

“So that’s how Bugsy’s pictures did it,” she murmured in awe. “How long do they do that?”

“Oh, this is just a cheap disposable one. It’ll last maybe a year,” the photographer said. “It’ll just be a still photo after that. So you can get a new one next Langnicht!”

“That’ll be why I never saw one before. There’s hardly any still cameras working in Kanto, never mind video cameras…” Saylee said, grinning as she watched the loop again. “You should smile, Silver, I want to send one to Mum.”

“Hmph.” Silver started to get up again, but Wyatt sat down next to him and pushed him back into his spot while Lucy sat next to Saylee.

“Okay, everyone skoosh together!” Lucy said, putting her arm around Saylee’s shoulder. “C’mon, Silver, _smile_!”

“Ready?” the photographer said, holding up the camera again. They all waved for a few seconds until he put the camera down again, and the giffie started printing out. “Brilliant! There you go.” He handed it over to Lucy, glancing over his shoulder as someone called to him. “Be right there, ma’am! Happy New Year, all,” he said, hurrying off.

“Heh, that’s a good one. Look at your face!” Lucy laughed. “Mind if I keep this one? I’ll make copies.”

“Sure, I want to send this one to my mum,” Saylee said, clicking open her Pokédex and setting the giffie of herself and Silver onto the portpad. “Oh, I should’ve gotten him to get one of my Pokémon…”

“You know, your Pokémon look tough,” Wyatt said, glancing over his shoulder at Silver and Saylee’s Pokémon. Nider and Georgia were dancing a slightly awkward mockery of the human dancing to much laughter from the other Pokémon. It was also, whether by accident or design, drawing a lot of human attention away from Bill’s determined but badly limping attempt to dance with a sweetly patient Prim. “You battled Grandad yet?”

“Mary and Tobias will be back at the end of Honua,” Saylee said, pocketing her Pokédex. “I’ll challenge him then. I’ve seen his Pokémon. I’ll definitely want Mary to fight them. I didn’t know Dewgong could _get_ as big as Severin.”

“Hey, is that bein’ Eusine an’ Morty?” Chip said, tapping Saylee on the back. Saylee turned and craned over her shoulder to see the two dancing by one of the fires. Morty was wearing a men’s kimono in the same wavy red-and-purple pattern as his favourite scarf; Eusine was dressed similarly, though his kimono was purple and white. “They look like they be havin’ fun.”

“Yeah,” Saylee said, relieved to see Morty grinning so brightly. She knew that becoming Ho-oh’s avatar was something that almost his entire life had revolved around and had been worried about breaking it to him that he wasn’t. She just wished she could figure out what he _was_. The Beasts had awakened at Silver’s presence and were following him, not Morty, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that Morty was _important_ somehow.

Eusine caught her eye over Morty’s shoulder and smiled widely, pulling Morty out of the dance and running over to them. “Saylee!” he called. “How wonderful to see you! Of course we knew you’d be here,” he added, laughing and putting his arm around Morty’s shoulder.

“Of course you did,” Saylee laughed. “How are you both?”

“Do you want to tell her or shall I?” Morty asked Eusine.

“Oh, you know the answer to that too!” Eusine said happily, picking up Saylee’s hand in both of his. “Saylee! He proposed!” Morty blushed, but flashed his ring at the same time as Eusine.

“You guys are _engaged_?” Lucy squeaked excitedly. “Congratulations!”

“That’s brilliant!” Saylee said, squeezing Eusine’s hand and grinning at Morty. “When’s the wedding?”

“Not until Reginua,” Morty said, accepting enthusiastic congratulatory handshakes from Lucy and Wyatt. “These things take planning. You are both invited, however,” he added, looking at Silver.

“What’s the big deal?” Silver grumbled. “Why’s it take so long?”

“Weddings are a big deal in Johto, or so I’ve been told,” Saylee told him. “I’ve never seen a ceremony before! That’s exciting! I can’t wait! Where will it be?”

“We’ll be holding it in the dojo, or maybe the dance hall,” Eusine said excitedly. “Most people get married on the Bell Path, but…”

“It’s beautiful, but I’m afraid I’m still on rather ill terms with some of the senior monks for leaving the monastery,” Morty sighed. “Most of my friends from the monastery won’t be attending for that reason.”

“Well, that’s dumb,” Silver complained. “Who says they get to tell you what to do?”

“You know, young man, it’s very hard to tell when you like people or not,” Eusine commented.

“I don’t like any of you,” Silver grumbled, jumping to his feet and wandering off.

“Is he going to go steal food again?” Wyatt asked, watching him go. “He really doesn’t need to. I mean, it’s a free feast.”

“I think he’s used to feeding himself that way,” Saylee sighed. “I can’t figure out how to break that habit.”

“You’ll figure it out,” Morty said with a smile. “Take it from me.”

“So what made you decide to propose?” Saylee asked him while Wyatt, Lucy and Eusine discussed wedding suits.

“Realizing that, after ten years, I was still dithering,” Morty said, still smiling gently. “I never committed fully to Eusine, as if I was trying to keep my options open. Even if you hadn’t told me about Ho-oh’s avatar… hearing that Eusine doubted my feelings reminded me that I chose him over Ho-oh long ago and that I haven’t committed fully to that decision. Not that I’m not grateful to you for telling me,” he added. “I still can’t see Ho-oh’s avatar. Perhaps I’m not supposed to. But knowing for sure and knowing that nothing can change it is… releasing, in a way. Like a great pressure has been taken from me.”

“I have a strong feeling that you are an avatar, though,” Saylee told him. “I haven’t figured out of who or what yet, but I’m sure you are. And you know what? I think whoever’s picked you made a damn good choice.”

“Thank you,” Morty said, smiling gently. “The witching hour is coming, you know. Watch the fire. It’s the best time to see visions. You may see something interesting.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Saylee said, looking back to the golden geisha who continuously danced around the raging purple fire without any sign of fatigue.

{}

It must have been three in the morning when Saylee saw it.

Many people were still dancing, and food and hot wine seemed to flow endlessly. Saylee was fairly sure something was in them to keep everyone’s energy up, since the dancing and chatter only seemed to get more flamboyant, not less. Saylee had learned a few more dances from her cousins, and they’d even gotten Silver to dance a few. For all he kicked up a fuss about it, when the dancing was fastest and everyone was spinning and jumping so fast it felt like flying, Saylee knew she caught a genuine smile on his face and heard him laughing in fun. It was a good sound to hear.

Between a couple of the dances, Saylee grabbed a cup of wine and sat down for a moment to rest. She didn’t want to stop for long. There were still eight hours left until sunrise and she didn’t want to slow down long enough to be really tired. She knew that if she kept moving she wouldn’t notice how sleepy she was. Still, she needed to catch her breath, so she sat and drank hot, spicy wine while staring vaguely into the fire. She thought she saw something moving within the flames and was wondering if it was a trick of her eyes when it burst out of the flames and flew up.

It was a huge, white-bellied bird, covered in red feathers but with wings glittering in every colour of the rainbow. As it looked down at Saylee, she saw a tall golden crest rising from the top of its head, similar to its large golden tail. It opened its long beak and shrieked long and loud. Fire began to dance along its wings, angry purple fire that Saylee couldn’t tear her eyes away from.

It looked up and shrieked again, loud and furious. It flicked its huge wings, and a ball of purple fire shot across the sky, striking a helicopter out of the air. Saylee screamed as the helicopter came crashing to the ground, engulfed in purple fire, its occupants screaming and howling while the great bird shrieked and shrieked…

“What the hell is your _problem_?” Silver said. Saylee jumped in surprise as he sat down next to her, munching a large lump of bread and soft cheese. Saylee looked back to where the burning helicopter lay, but it was gone, as if it had never been there. It probably hadn’t. Nobody else seemed to have noticed it or the great bird.

“You look like you just saw a ghost,” Wyatt commented, sitting down next to Silver.

“A vision, I think,” Saylee said, rubbing her eyes. “Morty wasn’t kidding. That was intense.”

“Seriously? Cool!” Wyatt said excitedly. “I’ve never seen anything in the fire, but sometimes when I was a kid I’d hear different music from everyone else. Guess that was how I knew I wanted to go into music. Anyway, what’d you see?”

“…Lugia’s famous for its temper,” Saylee said, staring into her cup of wine, “but I guess Ho-oh’s someone you don’t want to piss off either.” She drained the rest of her wine. “C’mon, if I sit down too long I’ll fall asleep.”

“I came to find you guys to tell you that Lucy found some people who are playing drinking games,” Wyatt said, standing up again and grabbing their arms. “They got a keg of the mulled wine and everything.”

“I’m amazed nobody’s passed out drunk,” Saylee said, following him off.

Wyatt laughed. “That’s because this stuff has no alcohol in it,” he said. “It tastes great and warms you up, but it’s not alcoholic. How else do you think people can drink it all night? Hell, they even hand it out to the kids,” he pointed out. “This mulled wine’s the _real_ thing, though.”

“What are drinking games, and are they as dumb as they sound?” Silver asked.

“Oh, they’re dumb, but they’re a ton of fun,” Wyatt laughed. “C’mon, we’re watching a play they’re putting on between fires six and seven. You drink every time they break out into song for no reason, every time the villain succeeds because the protagonist is too dumb to live, every time…”

{}

“Do wake up, Alan,” Helen said, shaking her grandson’s shoulder. “I’m ashamed of you, falling asleep on Langnicht. Dark influences seep into your soul when you do that, you know.”

“I’m _tired_ ,” Alan yawned. “How’re _you_ all still awake?”

“I’m tired, but I’ve gone for longer than this before without sleep,” Saylee said with a shrug, counting her and Silver’s Pokémon as they all congregated by the main fire. It was less than an hour until dawn. All of the geisha were dancing and singing feverishly around the main fire. Saylee could only imagine how exhausted _they_ must have been.

“Ceez, I can’t wait for the first sunrise, so the new year can start and we can go sleep,” Tyra grumbled, yawning hugely.

“I ain’t never seen so many teeth in one place in all my life,” Nider said, staring at her mouth in a kind of horror. Tyra snapped playfully at him.

“The fire’s really ragin’,” Chip commented, staring unblinkingly at the purple flame.

“Sit and watch,” Arthur ordered them. “Saylee and Silver have not seen the end of the dance before.”

“Does something interesting finally happen?” Silver asked, yawning.

“Their Eeveelutions join in!” Lucy said excitedly. “Watch!” The geisha suddenly froze, only rotating their wrists to flick their fans rhythmically. Eight different Eeveelutions, plus an actual Eevee, ran out of the trees and surrounded the geisha. The geisha kneeled as the Eeveelutions began to dance. They were all a little different; the slender pink-and-blue one was the most elegant, ribbons of fur flying beautifully around it. Glaceon iced the ground under her paws, allowing her to slide and glide smoothly, and then the ice immediately melted under Flareon’s paws, wreathing her in steam. Vaporeon shifted in and out of liquid form as she danced, and the air around Jolteon lit up with sparks of light. Lights danced around Espeon as well, and Umbreon’s patterns glowed brightly. Flower petals danced around the one with a leaf for a tail. Eevee skittered among all of them, giggling and enjoying all of their powers.

More and more people crowded around the main fires, forcing everyone to stand in order to see. Tyra sat Silver on her shoulders to give him a better view. The geisha girls were playing and singing louder than ever, and the Eeveelutions were dancing frantically, but the five geisha in gold were simply crouching on the ground, fans raised and eyes closed. Saylee wouldn’t have been surprised to find they were fast asleep.

The singing stopped and the music stripped down to a drumbeat. “Time to welcome the new year,” the singers called in unison. “Ten—nine—eight—“

“SEVEN—SIX—FIVE—“ the crowd joined in, shouting and clapping in time with the countdown. The sky had grown noticeably lighter. “FOUR—THREE—TWO—“

Everyone looked to the east, where the horizon was light beyond Bell Tower.

“ONE!”

At that moment, the geisha in gold moved swiftly to their feet, snapping their fans closed surprisingly loudly, the Eeveelutions shot various elemental attacks into the air, and the fire flared hugely. Everyone burst into cheers as a line of bright gold appeared over the horizon. “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” people started yelling at each other.

“Happy New Year, dear,” Helen said, hugging Saylee and moving onto each of her grandchildren in turn.

“Happy New Year,” Chaz said, hugging Saylee. Chip jumped in, hugging them both happily, cutting the hug short a little shyly before Chaz wrapped his wing around him to hug him back. Nider threw his hat in the air, then took off after Mag with an angry yell as the Magneton snagged it. Georgia grabbed both Alec and Tyra into a hug at once, at least until Alec teleported away and Tyra started spitting at her to make her let go. Tyra then gave Silver a quick, affectionate hug which he noticeably didn’t shrug off.

Saylee glanced over his shoulder at the geisha. All of the fires had vanished, except for the main one, which the five of them appeared to be balancing on their fans, which were open once more and held together. Saylee looked away again as she hugged all of her Pokémon in turn. She smiled to see Silver smiling sleepily as he patted Mag on the heads, then threw Nider’s hat back at him.

“Oh,” she said, picking up her bag and noticing that her Pokédex light was blinking. “Whoops… guess something came through.” She opened it and two pieces of paper appeared on the portpad.

 

_Happy New Year, sweetie, to you and both of your brothers, and all of your new family.               ~Mum_

 

“Mum says Happy New Year!” she called to everyone. Then she opened the second piece of paper.

 

_Happy New Year. Try not to get into a fight with Team Rocket this year, moron._

_I love you.           ~Blue_

Saylee smiled and kissed the paper, blushing a little. “Love you too, jerk,” she murmured.

“And _that_ was a _real_ Langnicht,” Lucy declared happily, slinging her arm around Saylee’s shoulders. “Enjoy the party?”

“Yay, woot, Happy New Year,” Wyatt said, waving his arms limply in the air. “Let’s go home and sleep.”

“Good call, that boy,” Arthur declared. “Come along, everyone. Towards that rising sun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear to Mew that all of this is setup and relevant to things in the future, and also that there’s only three chapters until Saylee battles Pryce and then goes to Blackthorn, so apologies to anyone feeling a bit dragged out by the winter section… ^_^;


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“What are you doing up so early?” Lucy said with a yawn, bumping into Saylee halfway down the hall.

“It’s half past ten in the morning,” Saylee said, looking pointedly at Lucy’s pyjamas and dressing gown. “I slept in. I haven’t quite got my sleep cycle back on track.”

“Yeah, Langnicht does that,” Lucy yawned. “That’s why none of the shops or anything open until the third. Not sure if that’s tomorrow or the day after... Anyway, where are you going?”

“Since New Year, I keep having nightmares,” Saylee sighed, leaning down and sticking a note under Silver’s door. She felt that an important point of trust between them was that she always came back when she said we would, which meant she at least had to let him know that she was going and when she planned to be back. “My dreamcatcher isn’t stopping them, and trust me, that thing has some real power in it. I think I need to go to the Ruins of Alph.”

“Y’know, I have a great horror movie about that place,” Lucy said with an evil grin. “I’ll show it to you when you come back, shall I?”

“Sure,” Saylee said, waving as she headed down the hall. “I’ll let you know if it’s scarier than the real thing.”

{}

“Have I mentioned how much I don’t like this place?” Chaz growled as they landed in front of the second intact chamber that Mr. Pokémon had marked out for Saylee. “Because I don’t like this place. It doesn’t feel right.”

“Yeah, I know,” Saylee said, climbing out of the harness built into Chaz’s armour. It was specially insulated so that the metal wouldn’t superheat from Chaz’s body heat so Saylee could ride in it and keep all of her skin (or at least the sixty-five percent that didn’t already have burn scarring), but the downside was that the metal in that part of the harness was really, _really_ cold. “But they’re getting into my dreams and that pisses me off.”

“If they’re getting into your dreams, does that mean they’re more powerful than… Daisy, Alan… everyone?” Chaz said uncomfortably. Saylee remembered what Lorenzo had told her about the dreamcatcher.

_“Daisy, Alan and Pedro’s will remains in these items. They want to protect you. If you want to be protected from bad dreams and psychic influences, hang it over your head. They will protect you. They always will.”_

“Either that,” she said quietly, “or they _want_ me to see what the Unown have to show me. I really don’t know what scares me more.”

“This time, can you hang onto me instead of running off?” Chaz said, gripping Saylee’s shoulder.

“Believe me, the last thing I want is to be alone in there,” Saylee promised, reaching up and holding Chaz’s claw as they stepped into the hall.

Once more, the flickering flame of Chaz’s tail was swallowed by the gloom. Nevertheless, Saylee would hazard a guess that this hall was roughly the same size as the first one. They started walking into the darkness.

“You came!” Jay said, appearing in front of her.

“I did,” Saylee agreed. “Y’know, I _am_ your trainer. You could speak straight to me instead of pissing about like this.”

“Ah, but that is not our way,” Jay said, vanishing. If he’d had a mouth, Saylee would bet he’d be smirking. After a long moment in silence and darkness, Saylee stepped forwards. Chaz’s claw disappeared from her shoulder.

“Chaz?!” She yelled, turning around. Seeing fire, she ran towards it, but it wasn’t Chaz. It was purple, not red. “Burning buildings _again_?” she complained, skirting around the edge of the burning… stone?

Everything was crumbling under the angry purple fire. Stone buildings were turning to black ash. It was like a bizarre colour-changed repeat of her previous vision, only without any screaming. When Saylee nearly tripped over a burning human corpse, she realized why.

Lugia had killed almost nobody in its rampage. Whatever had caused this—and from the purple fire, Saylee could take a good guess—had left almost no survivors.

“The Sacred Fire they keep at the Bell Tower is purple,” Saylee called. “Come on, then. Ho-oh, right?”

Though she’d been expecting it, Saylee’s heart jumped in her chest as Ho-oh _shrieked_ behind her. She turned around as the huge gold-and-rainbow bird flew towards her, fury in its eyes. It grabbed Saylee and hauled her high into the air. Then, with another furious scream, it dropped her.

Saylee screamed, expecting to fall, but there wasn’t the rush of wind that she was expecting. It felt more like she was simply floating in empty space.

A tall stone podium stood in front of her. Ho-oh roosted on it, glaring imperiously at her, and turned to stone. Unown slowly blinked into existence before the podium.

O U R C L A N

C R E A T E D P O K E M O N

S T A T U E S O U T S I D E

“To appease Ho-oh?” Saylee called. “What did you do to piss it off? Ooft!”

“Saylee!” Chaz cried as Saylee landed on the ground in front of him. He picked her up to her feet. “What just happened? You vanished and then dropped out of nowhere…”

“Long story short, it’s as bad an idea to piss off Ho-oh as it is to piss off Lugia,” she grumbled, rubbing her knees. “Come on… I don’t know if any researchers are in the research centre, but I should be able to look at some of the public displays.”

{}

“Thanks for letting me in here, Doctor Hawkshaw,” Saylee said, looking at a wall chart equating the twenty-eight known Unown shapes to the alphabets of various languages.

“No problem,” the doctor said, pointing to a flat, white table. “You can bring up most of the visuals on there. We’ve got reconstructions of what we think the place used to look like, and while I can’t let you see any of the artefacts we’ve recovered there are images of them and what they would have looked like whole and such…”

“Thank you very much,” Saylee said, making for the table.

“I’ll be in the research lab, knock if you need anything,” Doctor Hawkshaw said, heading for the door at the back. She was a middle-aged woman with frizzy, curly blonde hair in a haphazard ponytail and a delicately patterned wedding ring on her left hand. She hurried back through to the lab, clearly desperate to get back to whatever important work had brought her back to the lab on the third day of the year.

Saylee turned on the holotable, and a menu came up. The first thing she did was bring up a map of the ruins when they were new. Text scrolled across a strip of table in front of her while ancient stone buildings rose up out of the rest of the table.

“ _These ruins are the oldest human-made structure in the world. It is six thousand years old, an age coinciding with the first written record. The only older traces of humanity are skeletons found in the Cave of Origin in Hoenn. Humanity’s history before this time is unknown._ ”

The stone houses were well-built and looked comfortable; small artificial streams ran by every house and into the pond in the middle of the settlement. When Saylee reached out and tapped one of them, more text scrolled by, explaining that these streams provided fresh water and a waste disposal system for the humans living in the settlement. The four temples were painted red, blue, yellow and gold. “ _At one time, all things in the world were thought to be formed of the Three Elements, Fire, Ice and Lightning. The Gold temple represented Perfection. This two-tiered collection of four may have referred to the god-Pokémon Lugia and the three Pokémon that, according to legend, serve it; Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres_.”

“Did Ho-oh get jealous and destroy it or something?” Saylee muttered. The word “ _DESTROY_ ” flashed on the text part of the table and a new paragraph appeared.

 _“What destroyed the Ruins of Alph is unknown._ ” Saylee imagined a researcher in a labcoat sniggering every time they got to use the word “unknown” while writing the text. “ _Judging by the ages of skeletons found in the burial ground, it was Johto’s largest and only human settlement for approximately two hundred years before the settlement was destroyed and the people scattered across the country. There were no more large human settlements until the rise of the Dragon Empire one hundred years later. The Ruins have been avoided by humans and Pokémon alike until this lab was successfully established in 2986. Due to fluctuating levels of funding, this institution has opened and closed no less than eighty-four times over the years and has yet to successfully determine what destroyed the city of Alph._ ”

Saylee scrolled through some of the various artefacts that had been found. The people living in Alph worshipped many gods; Lugia and Ho-oh seemed to be represented equally, along with the three birds, a small green creature that the table identified as Celebi the time-traveller, a little star-shaped one identified as Jirachi the wish-granter, and other triads that Saylee had never heard of.

“Dialga-Palkia-Giratine… Uxie-Mesprit-Azelf… Groudon-Kyogre-Rayquaza… everything in threes,” she murmured, scrolling through the reproduced paintings. There were also hundreds and hundreds of paintings of regular Pokémon, though none were very detailed. Since some of the paintings of humans were very detailed indeed, the text in the table suggested that at this time humans and Pokémon stayed very far apart. _Without Pokémon to protect them, people turned to legendary Pokémon and worshipped them as gods…_

Eventually, Saylee got to an archive of reported visions in the halls. The closest ones were two hundred years apart; only a dozen people had ever seen visions before Saylee, and none of them were still alive. The very earliest was the legendary Sir Aaron; the next after him was a three-year-old girl who had apparently played in dream worlds with the Unown for a week at the beginning of the second millennium.

All of them had predicted the rise and fall of civilizations or the few documented appearances of Legendary God-Pokémon.

Saylee stepped back out of the lab, releasing Chaz, Chip, Georgia and Nider and told them what she saw in the vision. “Not bein’ very subtle about this, are they?” Nider grumbled. “They _really_ want you to do this. Why you again?”

“Apparently, because I saved Silver when the Beasts woke up, and then Entei saw me rescue him in the Lake of Rage they decided I’d be appropriate,” Saylee sighed. “Because for some arbitrary reason, he’s chosen… and so’s Ethan, according to the geisha, based on the fact that Lugia’s feather appeared before him. At least no feathers have appeared to Silver yet, but they seem to be anticipating me refusing. But…” Saylee fidgeted with her glasses. “…he’s just a kid. Silver, and Ethan too. And the geisha said he has to _merge_ with Lugia…”

“It might not be the same as Bill,” Chaz said gently. “ _That_ was an accident with a broken machine. Maybe Lugia knows what it’s doing better.”

“Nothing like this has ever happened before,” Saylee argued. “Lugia’s never lived in a human body before. I don’t know how I can expect it to know what to do, god or not.”

“Not very religious, are ya?” Nider grumbled. Saylee shook her head.

“The people here were,” she said, looking around at the ancient, grumbled stone. “Doesn’t seem to have done them any good.” She got up, stretching. “Come on. Let’s search this area again. Maybe we can get Peggy and Steve to help. Just because Red wasn’t here before doesn’t mean he’s not here now…”

“Don’t you wanna be talkin’ to the geisha?” Chip suggested.

“They’ve made it clear that they’re determined to get Ethan to Lugia,” Saylee sighed. “…While we’re doing a fly-around, let’s keep an eye out for the geisha. I want to make sure they’re not stalking Ethan…”

{}

Three more days passed, full of searching increasingly familiar ground that was covered in snow but bereft of either Red or the geisha. Soon they were a week into the new year, and while the snow wasn’t melting yet, fresh snow had stopped falling.

“Hey, it’s a text from Lucy,” Saylee said as her pokégear _beeped_ while they were flying around Mt Mortar.

_Grandad’s about to take on his first challenger of the year! You should come check it out!_

_~Lucy_

“A challenger, huh?” Chaz said as Saylee read it aloud. “What do they challenge him for?”

“Prestige, Lucy told me,” Saylee said. “He’s rarely beaten, although Lucy says that he doesn’t use his very strongest Pokémon against challengers, just Pokémon that are strong enough to test them. Trainers who do well against him can go up to where the Dragon Clan live to fight for further prestige, even a knighthood. It’s better money than gambling on fights, plus, again, respect and prestige. I’d think it would be too early in the year to go up to Blackthorn, though…”

“Maybe they want to test themselves,” Chaz suggested. “Anyway, do you want to go back? There’s no sign of Red or Ben here…”

“Yeah,” Saylee sighed. She planned to repeatedly scour the country until her Pokémon came back at the beginning of Suina, but it was feeling increasingly hopeless. If Red was in Johto, it looked more and more like he was in the almost perpetually snowy mountains of Blackthorn.

 _But after all this time, why hasn’t he come home or even contacted us?_ She wondered. _Those old labs and war rooms… “upsetting” is an understatement, especially for someone who loves Pokémon as much as Red. Even if he couldn’t bear to come back to Kanto… why wouldn’t he at least try to contact us to let us know he’s alright? To see if_ we’re _alright? He knew Pallet was depending on him…_

“Saylee, we’re here,” Chaz said, shaking her out of her thoughts. Saylee climbed off of his back and returned him, running into the house to enter the dojo’s viewing gallery.

The dojo was of an ancient style, a vaulted wooden roof over a vast pool of freezing water and small icebergs with two floating wooden platforms at either end of the battlefield. The viewing gallery was built into one wall, allowing people to view the battle from above. Lucy, Silver, Mag, Siren and Emilie were all up there, closer to their Sir Pryce’s end of the battlefield, watching intently.

Sir Arthur Pryce was facing down a girl with a Bellossom with his Seel, Seward. Saylee had only seen pictures of Bellossom before, so she couldn’t gauge this one’s strength by its size, though it was definitely much smaller than Seward. The Bellossom started charging up what Saylee recognized as a Solarbeam, but Seward struck first with a blast of Icy Wind and the Bellossom went down.

“Seward’s kicking _ass_ ,” Lucy reported as Saylee joined them. “I think this girl’s got a team specifically for fighting Grandad, though. She had a Rapidash that got Sewell before being taken out.”

“His Piloswine, right?” Saylee remembered. Lucy nodded.

The girl looked to be about Saylee and Lucy’s age, with bobbed blue hair and a determined expression. “I’ve got one more!” she called, returning her fallen Bellossom. “Go, Emer!” An Electabuzz appeared. “Thunder!”

Seward narrowly dodged the powerful but notoriously difficult to aim electric attack. “Rest,” Pryce called. Seward curled up on an ice floe and dropped off to sleep.

“Get it now, Emer!” the girl yelled.

“Snore,” Pryce promptly responded. Emer was knocked backwards by a wall of sound.

“That’s gotta be _cheating_ ,” Silver said, watching Emer struggle to reach the sleeping Seward.

“Yeah,” Siren agreed. “Great, isn’t it?”

“So, no luck finding your brother?” Lucy asked Saylee as soon as she got bored by the repetition of Emer being knocked backwards repeatedly by Seward’s snores. Saylee shook her head. “Well, that sucks. On the other hand, the Ice Path normally defrosts a bit around early Suina. We should be able to go by the end of that month.”

“Good stuff,” Saylee said, wincing as Emer finally managed to hit Seward with Thunder. The resting Seel just managed to keep himself conscious long enough to use Icy Wind to knock Emer out.

“She was good,” Emilie commented.

Lucy nodded. “Yeah, she almost got Grandad on to Sevilen,” she agreed.

“She lost,” Silver pointed out. “That means she sucks.”

“Does that mean we suck?” Mag asked.

“…shut up, Mag.”

“I thought I’d find you three here!” Greta said, coming through the door to the house. Saylee looked away from the girl, who had returned her Electabuzz and gone running for the clinic. “Miss Saylee, Mister Silver, when are your birthdays? I was updating the house calendar for this year and realized that I simply don’t know.”

“Zanua 11th,” Saylee said. Greta immediately started typing into her pokégear. “When _is_ your birthday, Silver? When do you turn ten?”

“Um… Honua 15th,” Silver said after thinking for a moment. Greta started typing it in, then did a double-take.

“That’s next week!” she said.

“Is it?” Silver said, getting up and starting to walk back to the house. “C’mon, guys, let’s go find food.”

“Wait, your birthday is seriously _next week_?” Lucy gasped, getting up and running after him. “Hold up! You need a party and presents and cake and stuff!”

“You what?” Silver said, staring at her.

“Do you guys do birthday parties in Kanto?” Lucy asked, looking from Saylee to Silver.

“Ummm… we sometimes eat extra food if we have it and sing a song,” Saylee said.

“No,” Silver said, rolling his eyes. “Who cares?”

“You’ll care once you get presents!” Lucy declared, running over and grabbing Saylee. “You stay here, Silver. We’re going _shopping_!”


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“This is going better than expected,” Lucy said, watching several kids cheering as Tyra showed off her Waterfall. “I thought he was gonna freak when he found out that Grandma invited the kids in his class.”

“He gets to show off his Pokémon,” Saylee said, grinning at Silver, who was eating all of the cupcakes and telling a couple of boys from his class all about what Siren could do. “Plus, you were right. Food and presents have won him right over. It’s kinda cute.”

“We’ll throw you a proper party when it’s your birthday too, I promise,” Lucy said, hugging Saylee. “C’mon and help me get the cake out. Actually, no,” she decided. “When it comes out everyone’ll sing and it’s deliberately embarrassing and you need to make sure he doesn’t freak out. I’ll go find Hunter to help me.” She ran off into the house, leaving Saylee on her own. Saylee walked down into the garden, relieved to see Silver interacting somewhat normally with other kids. He still hadn’t had anything good to say about school but perhaps seeing them outside of a school environment was helping.

“Hey, Silver says you have cool Pokémon too,” a small girl said, grabbing Saylee’s arm. “Show us!”

“Maybe another time,” Saylee said with a smile. Silver was clearly enjoying getting to show his Pokémon off, and she didn’t want to risk stealing his thunder. _He’s been telling them about my Pokémon_?

“Do you have weird Pokémon or something?” the little girl asked, frowning. “You’re from Kanto, right? I didn’t think _anyone_ was from Kanto. The history teacher said that there was a big war and like the whole country blew up and everyone was _dead_.”

“Bet you a fiver you’re wrong,” Saylee said, crouching down next to the little girl. “Listen, my cousin’s getting cake. Go tell the other kids to get ready to sing, but don’t let Silver know, okay?”

“Yay, cake!” The girl said happily, and then slammed her hands over her mouth and giggling when Saylee put her finger to her lips and winked. The girl ran off and started whispering in other children’s ears while Saylee went over to Silver.

“It’s not fair that you get cool Pokémon,” a boy was complaining, watching Mag float around Silver’s head. “How d’you get them to come with you?”

“Asked them, duh,” Silver said with a shrug. “Hey, I got your dumb present,” he added, spotting Saylee. “Couldn’t you have gotten a better one?” He held up his wrist, showing the pokégear that Saylee had bought him. It was black and silver and clamped around the wrist as a watch.

“Hey, I bought it with my money from winning battles instead of Pryce money,” Saylee said, crossing her arms.

“Well, fine, it’ll do, I guess,” Silver said, clicking a couple of buttons and then turning it off again. Saylee noted that he seemed to like it enough to have already put down a wallpaper picture of Tyra on it.

“Happy birthday, Silver!” Lucy called, stepping out of the kitchen and waving her arms. Everyone looked over to see Hunter come out after her, carrying a big white cake on a platter. “ _Happy birthday to yooouuu…”_

Saylee stood next to Silver as every kid at the party started singing. His eyes widened, and he stared in some horror as the song went on, seemingly specially timed to be as awkward as humanly possible for everyone involved. Other than giving Siren and Gareth dirty looks for sniggering, however, he restrained himself to grumbling about what a dumb song it was.

“When are they going to shut up so I can get cake?” he asked Saylee.

“Right about now,” Lucy said, shifting some of the plates on the table they’d set up in the garden to make space for the cake platter. 

“Why’s my cake on fire?” Silver asked, scowling as he stared at the ten candles on the cake.

“You get one candle for every year old you are,” the little girl who had come up to Saylee before explained. “Then you make a wish and blow ‘em out!”

“Wishing’s for babies,” Silver said, blowing the candles out. “Can we get rid of these so we can eat?” He started picking out the candles and throwing them on the ground.

“Let us handle this,” Lucy said, shooing him away from the cake. “We’ll hand out cake in a moment. Shoo!”

“Why are you two in charge, anyway?” Saylee asked Hunter. “Where’s your mum and our grandparents?”

“Oh, um…” Hunter blushed at being directly addressed. After two months, he was still shy around Saylee and Silver, but he was the same around Lucy, Arthur, Helen and even his mother, so it just seemed to be his nature. “Sir Pryce and Ma’am don’t think that parents and grandparents are much fun to have around at kids’ parties. They’re, um, around somewhere, I’m sure.”

“Oh, okay,” Saylee said. “Thanks,” she added as he handed her a slice of cake.

“Uh, no problem,” he said, flushing anew and hurrying off to deliver cake to the clamour of children.

“Isn’t it cute when he goes all red like that?” Lucy laughed, reappearing with her own cake.

Saylee just laughed, digging into her own slice of chocolate and white sugar icing. She kicked idly at a sludgy lump of half-melted snow. “Do you think it’s going to snow again?”

“Meteorology reports say no,” Lucy said apologetically. “No sign of Red anywhere?”

“Nope,” Saylee said, shaking her head. “Which means I need to get to Blackthorn as soon as possible. It’s still snowy, right?”

“They’re so high up that I think there’s only about two weeks in Kyonua that there’s not at least _frost_ ,” Lucy said, rolling her eyes. “Tell you what. Icy Path’ll start thawing by the end of the month. It generally takes about two weeks to be good, so… what say we head out on Suina 16th?”

“You’re coming with me?” Saylee said in surprise. Lucy rolled her eyes.

“Duh!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been to Blackthorn a bunch of times. I went once with Grandad when I was a kid… then I started going every spring when I had Pokémon to train with a girl I made friends with. She likes training against ice-types because she figures it makes her tougher. I’ve gone on my own the past three years since Grandad stopped having his yearly bouts with old Master Ryujin, and I know the way really well. Icy Path’s a deathtrap, so you’ll need a guide.” She took a bite of cake with a smug grin.

“Why don’t they have a travel centre with a teleporter?” Saylee grumbled. “Everywhere else in the country does…”

“Given that you walk everywhere, I’m genuinely surprised that you know that,” Lucy said, licking some frosting off of her spoon.

“I had a brother to look for—two, actually,” Saylee said, polishing off her cake and covetously eying Lucy’s. “Anyway, why don’t they have one?”

“Ancient tradition,” Lucy said, rolling her eyes and turning slightly to put herself defensively between her cake and her cousin. “That’s the reason for more or less everything in Blackthorn. The main thing is that the city used to be a fortress, and has always, _always_ been tough to get to. The dragon trainers who live there can easily fly out on their dragons, and _everyone_ there is a dragon trainer, up to and including the people who run the damn country. If you don’t have a dragon to fly in on, you need to brave Icy Path.”

Saylee nodded, thinking of Diana’s horn and pearl that she kept wrapped up in her bag. _I’ll get you home, Diana, I promise. I just wish I could’ve flown there with you._

“Hey, can we have a bottle?” a boy asked, grabbing Lucy’s arm. “Silver doesn’t even know what _Truth or Dare_ is!”

“Is it a game?” Saylee asked. The boy stared incredulously at her.

“Yep, she doesn’t know either,” Lucy said, scarfing down the last bite of her cake and towing the boy off by an arm. “C’mon, let’s go fix that.”

{}

“It was dumb,” Silver complained, sitting up on his knees on Saylee’s pillow to peer at her dreamcatcher and pointedly not looking at her. “The dares were dumb. All of those dumb kids that came were dumb.”

“C’mon, it wasn’t that bad, was it?” Saylee asked, watching Gareth float in and out of her bedroom walls, giggling madly. “The dare was kinda fun, and hey, Gareth evolved out of it.” She watched the Gengar float through the wall again, grinning and kicking his new legs. Silver and Saylee had been dared by Lucy, who was grinning evilly the whole time, to battle using each others’ Pokémon. Gareth had evolved while Saylee was fighting with him. Silver had won in the end, using Chip, Georgia and Nider against Gareth, Mag and Zeb.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t really count as a win for me using _your_ Pokémon,” Silver grumbled. “And Kyle’s an idiot.”

“While I’m impressed with your self-control in not getting into a fight with him until three o’clock, you still didn’t need to punch him in the face for stealing your food,” Saylee sighed, rubbing her forehead. “And you _really_ should not have let Siren loose on him. If Chaz hadn’t got her, she could have really hurt that boy!”

“He deserved it,” Silver said shiftily. “He always calls my hair dumb and steals my stuff.”

“Silver, you always called me an idiot and stole all sorts of stuff. That does not mean that you deserve to get cut open by a psychopathic Sneasel,” Saylee pointed out. “If Siren had hurt him, she would get taken away and released somewhere far away from human civilization, you understand? You’d never see her again. Wild dark-types in general are kept away from humans because of how dangerous they are. You wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near her or she near you.”

“She wouldn’t hurt _me_!” Silver argued, looking horrified.

“Humans are fragile, Silver,” Saylee said, pulling up her fringe to reveal the scar on her forehead that she’d gotten from cracking her head on Cinnabar Island. “Pokémon can take some pretty serious injuries and heal in no time. Humans? Not so lucky. That’s why Pokémon battling isn’t discouraged so long as it’s nonfatal, but Pokémon who hurt humans… that’s a serious problem.”

“Like your stupid Gyarados is any safer around people,” Silver muttered sullenly.

“That’s why I train him at the far side of the Lake of Rage, _away_ from people,” Saylee replied. “Now that the snow’s melting, that’s what I’m going to spend most of my time doing until it’s time for me to go to Blackthorn. He’s just frightened and doesn’t really know how to control himself. I think I can help calm him if I’m just patient.”

“You really think that’ll work?” Silver said incredulously. “If you just wait and keep trying he’ll calm down?”

“You seem to be more willing to stay in the same room as me than when we first met,” Saylee pointed out.

Gareth laughed. “Hey, I bet I got a ton of cool new powers now!” he said. “You always tell Mag about how school’s boring and it sucks, can I come liven it up?”

“No!” Saylee said quickly. “Silver… seriously, how do you feel about school?”

“I dunno, I guess some of the stuff would be kind of interesting if everyone there didn’t suck,” Silver muttered. “Never been around other kids befor., I didn’t realize what assholes they are.”

“You didn’t play with other kids in Viridian?” Saylee asked.

“C’mon, are you crazy?” Silver said, rolling his eyes. “Kids there wouldn’t go anywhere near me ‘cause their dumb parents told them not to. I bet they sucked too, though. Who needs them, anyway? Mum always said playing with kids was a waste of time.”

Saylee put her arm around his shoulders. He eventually leaned into the embrace. “When I find Red and go back to Kanto, do you want to come with me? I mean, do you like it here better than Viridian?”

“Both of them suck, but people feed me better here and I guess there are people who don’t suck completely,” Silver muttered, his voice muffled by her jumped. “You’re not going to leave me behind, are you?”

“If you’d rather stay here…” Saylee began.

Silver pushed away from her, glaring angrily at her. “You promised you weren’t going to leave me behind!” he yelled. “You can’t _abandon_ me! I’m going with you!”

“I’m not trying to abandon you, Silver, I’m just asking you what you want,” Saylee said, surprised by just how angry he was. “I won’t leave you here if you don’t want me to.”

“Good, ‘cause I _don’t_!” Silver yelled. “You said you weren’t going to leave me behind, so don’t be a liar and _don’t_!” he ran out of the room.

“Ceez, you always set him off,” Gareth complained, floating after his trainer. “I don’t remember why I know what abandonment issues are, but he totally has them, so seriously, stop hitting them already and keep your promises.” He disappeared through the wall.

Saylee sighed, leaned back on her bed, and lay there, hating her father and hating Ariana.

{}

“They’re back!” Saylee said excitedly as her pokégear beeped. “Can you let me onto the ground, please, Gabriel?”

“Okay, Saylee,” Gabriel rumbled, nodding. Saylee clung tightly to his crest to avoid being thrown off. “Whoops! Sorry…”

“It’s okay,” Saylee said, patting his crest. Gabriel’s temper and disposition had improved massively over the past three weeks, but it still wasn’t a good idea to let him get down on himself. Gabriel leaned down carefully and rested his large head on the ground next to a thick log that Saylee climbed down onto. Saylee lowered herself onto the grass and released Chaz, Chip and Georgia.

“Wassup?” Nider said, swimming to shore. Saylee clicked open her Pokédex.

“Tobias and Mary are back,” she said, watching the two pokéballs materialize on the portpad. She released her Ampharos and Togetic, both of whom were a little larger than when she’d seen them last. Mary now stood as tall as Saylee, and Tobias was nearing a metre in height.

“Hi, everyone!” Tobias cried the second he was let out of his pokéball, immediately whizzing up to glomp Saylee. “Did you have a good winter? Did you find your brother? Oh, wait, you didn’t, did you?”

“No sign of him,” Chaz said regretfully. “How are Carrie and Hernan?”

“They Langnicht ceremonies at the Lavender are pretty… funky,” Mary said, getting out of her pokéball. “Toby’s folks are awright, though. Badass much? So, how’s everyin?”

“Doin’ fine ‘till you showed up,” Nider said, grinning and fistbumping Mary. “Hope you haven’t been slackin’ on your training, or I’ll kick your ass from here to Olivine!”

“Aye, right,” Mary said, squaring up against him. “Come an’ have a go if ye think yer hard enough!”

“Hi Nider!” Tobias said, hugging Nider. “Hi Georgia! Hi Chip! Hi Chaz! Hi… _wow_ ,” he said, staring at Gabriel. “You’re _big_!”

“No, I’m Gabriel,” The hulking Gyarados said slowly. “It is very nice to meet you. You are very small and you move a lot.” He turned his head back and forth to watch Toby flit around. “What is your name?”

“I’m Tobias,” Tobias said. “Everyone calls me Toby!”

“Hello, Tobias,” Gabriel said, carefully pronouncing Tobias’ name.

“An’ I’m Mary,” Mary offered, waving to Gabriel. “Ooft, check the size o’ you!”

“Hello, Mary,” Gabriel said. “I am a Gyarados. I can swim where there is water. There is a lot of water here.” He grinned at the Lake. “I like swimming.”

“We’ll take you swimming later,” Saylee promised, gently stroking his fins. “Guys, we’ve been training with Gabriel over the winter. He’s very powerful, and he wants to explore with us, so be his friend, okay?”

“He’s a bit, eh, ‘special’ in the head,” Nider murmured to Mary. “I blame those Rocket assholes messin’ with his brain. Bit slow when he’s in a good mood, homicidal when he’s in a bad one, so best to keep ‘im sweet, y’know?”

“Gotcha,” Mary muttered back. “So, what’s gaun’ on now? We’re aff tae Dragonsville, I heard?”

“Blackthorn,” Saylee agreed. “A couple of weeks.”

“Oh, Chaz! Chaz!” Tobias said. “Professor Oak asked me to tell you that they’re ready! They’ve finally done it! The first ones are starting to grow!”

“First what, moi love?” Georgia asked.

“First Charmander to walk this planet since I evolved,” Chaz said softly, his face lighting up with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. He looked down at Saylee. “I… I can’t believe they’ve done it! How many?”

“Fifteen,” Mary explained. “The Prof was sayin’ they mucked aboot a wee bit wi’ yer deeyenny, whatever that is… but it means they’re no’ all tiny wee yous. I ‘hink there’s one is, an’ one’s a wee girl you, an’ then there’s two other wee boys and two wee girls an’ they’re aw a wee bit different, but since they’re aw made oot ay a bit o’ yous, they’re kinda like brers an’ sisters.”

“That’s proper brilliant!” Chip said excitedly, flaring up. “Congrats t’ye, Chaz!”

“They’re grateful for your permission to try and find some Char bones up at Mt Moon,” Tobias added. “So got uh…” he glanced at Mary. “…deeyenny from them. So’s they can make more little Charmander that _aren’t_ brothers and sisters. Otherwise, when they grow up they can’t have more kids, the Professor said. Anyway, they’ll all hatch in about two months, they think.”

“True enough,” Saylee said. “That’s amazing, Chaz! I can’t wait to meet them!”

“Me neither,” Chaz said. “And I would like for some of the other Char’s bones to be retrieved… We could get Carrie to give them proper rites.”

“Did you know any o’ them, moy love?” Georgia asked. Chaz shook his head.

“I was barely hatched when I went to live with Professor Oak,” he said. “But still… they’re my kin. My parents are probably up there… maybe even siblings.” He dipped his head, looking downcast. Saylee wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

“You need to go back and help them find those bones,” she said softly. “And you need to be there for those little ones when they’re first born.”

“I’m excited to meet them, but… I have no idea how to raise kids,” Chaz admitted.

“Mum and Dad will help!” Tobias insisted. “You can feed ‘em and show ‘em how to do all your cool fire moves and when they grow up, you can teach ‘em to _fly_ …”

“They’ve got the best Charizard ever looking after them, so they’ll be fine,” Saylee insisted. “It’s been brilliant having you here over the winter, Chaz.”

“Thanks for teachin’ me Blast Burn,” Chip said shyly. “It’s been a real honour t’be trainin’ with you.”

“Couldn’t teach you it if you weren’t already a badass,” Chaz said encouragingly. “I’m sorry we couldn’t find Red, Saylee. All of you, take care of yourselves and each other. I’ll see you all later on… you’d better all be coming to visit!” He exchanged brofists with Nider, Georgia and Chip, bumped foreheads with Tobias and Mary, and nodded at Gabriel. “Goodbye,” he said, leaning down to head-hug Saylee one last time.

“See you soon,” she promised, hugging him back and returning him. She gave his pokéball a kiss before setting it on the pokédex pad and sending it back to Pallet Town. “Right, everyone, we’ve got training to do!” She declared. “Before we go, I’d like to challenge my grandfather…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week: Saylee battles Pryce. You thought it was never gonna happen, dint’cha? 
> 
> (…sorry ^_^;)
> 
> Saylee now has a Tumblr, [sayleeofkanto](sayleeofkanto.tumblr.com)! It’s mainly to interact with asklooker and post random thoughts about the fic, but you’re welcome to send questions or comments there :)


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 19 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“I’ve not beaten Grandad yet,” Lucy said as they walked down to the dojo. “A couple of his stronger Pokémon have died in the past few years of old age, but it doesn’t make it easier to beat what he’s got left. I’ve tried, but he’s so good… then again, you’re better than me,” she added wistfully.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here for your inheritance claim,” Saylee promised. “I’m not interested in training only ice-types. I like fire too much. I just want to see how I fare against him, that’s all.”

“Fair enough. Good luck!” Lucy gave Saylee a hug. “C’mon, brat, let’s get up to the viewing gallery.”

“Don’t be weak,” Silver told Saylee before following Lucy away with Mag in tow. Saylee figured that was as close to a “Good Luck” as she was going to get from him.

“So, are you ready, Saylee?” Pryce asked her as she stepped into the battle hall. The room was set up as a large pool of cold water with ice floes bobbing in it. A large wooden platform with a railing around it floated at either end of the hall for the trainers to stand on.

“With winter coming to an end, are you getting off your game?” Saylee asked, stepping onto hers.

Pryce smiled. “Very witty,” he said, “but I have trained Pokémon for many years. We stay as cold and strong as winter year-round.” He released his Seel, who flopped up onto an ice floe. “So, to the battle. Who will face Seward?”

“Mary will,” Saylee said, releasing her Ampharos. “Watch out for the water, Mary, it’s freezing.”

“An’ here wis me thinkin’ water iced over when it wis bilin’,” Mary said dryly, tapping a foot on the ice. “Aight then. Come oan!”

“You think I fear you?” Seward sniffed, flipping into the water.

“Hail,” Pryce ordered. Seward flicked his tail, splashing water into the air. It condensed into a thick grey cloud that began to drop shards of ice onto the battlefield.

“Ow! That’s stingin’!” Mary complained, darting around on the ice in an attempt to avoid the hail.

“Thunderpunch!” Saylee called.

Mary leapt at Seward with a crackling fist, but he ducked underwater, and she narrowly missed falling in herself. Her feet slipped on the ice floe that she landed on. “Ooft!”

“Ice Wind, Seward!” Pryce called. Seward leapt out of the water on the far side of Mary, flicking his tail again to create a blast of frozen wind that knocked her into the water.

“Mary!” Saylee called. Underwater, the hail wouldn’t hit her, but the water itself was barely a degree above freezing. And Seward was in the water somewhere, too…

Saylee knelt down by the water’s edge and, sticking her face as close to the water as she dared, bellowed, “DISCHARGE!”

She immediately slid herself away from the water as something yellow flashed beneath and the entire pool _crackled_. Seward floated to the surface shortly after, paralyzed and unconscious.

Mary surfaced just after Seward did, scrambling onto the ice next to Saylee. “Ooft!” she yelped, shaking to try and dispel the freezing water. Saylee shrieked as she was showered in cold droplets. “S-S-Sorry b-b-b-b-boot that… ooft, th-that’s n-n-nippin’!”

“We’ll get you warmed up later,” Saylee promised, returning her. Pryce returned Seward.

“Well played,” he said. “Now to test you further. Sewell!”

Sewell was a Piloswine like Lucy’s Sasha, but _much_ bigger. Cold water turned to thick ice under him as he snuffled his way across the field, ignoring the still falling hail.

“Then we’ll heat it up in here, too,” Saylee promised. “Chip!”

Saylee stepped back to allow Chip to stand on the wooden platform next to her. When he tried stepping onto the ice, it started melting under his feet, causing him to sink into little craters. He could bank his external fires, so unlike Chaz a fall into water wasn’t necessarily fatal. It would still hurt him badly, though.

“Lava Plume,” Saylee ordered, pointing at Sewell. Chip had only recently learned how to form globs of lava, and while they weren’t large, he had wicked aim.

“Mud Bomb,” Pryce said, pointing his cane at Chip.

Saylee ducked behind Chip as his blasts of lava and Sewell’s chunks of mud struck each other in the middle of the field, again and again without either fighter ever being hit. The battle didn’t seem to be going anywhere, but Saylee was watching the water.

When she was very little, Blue had told her that you could burn yourself on ice. She’d managed to burn herself in a freezer chest finding out if it was true. First she’d asked Red about it, but he hadn’t known why, so they’d gone to their mother.

“ _Heat is fair,_ ” she’d said. “ _It will spread itself around so that everything is the same temperature. When you burn yourself on ice, it’s your own body heat, rushing to leave your body and warm up the ice so fast that it burns you on the way out._ ”

Whenever the mud and lava hit, hot magma sprays fell into the icy water. The water was cooling the magma, but the water itself was warming in the process. The ice floes floating on the water were already melting away. Saylee wondered how heavy Sewell’s hair was when wet, and how well he would fare in hot water.

Pryce was old, but his eyes were better than Saylee’s. “Blizzard!” he commanded Sewell as the Piloswine’s own ice floe began to melt.

“Aye, good shout!” Sewell’s hair flew as a blast of ice and frozen wind, stronger than Seward’s Icy Wind, struck Chip. It was a hit, but not a powerful one, since ice particles turned straight to steam on him and evaporated away.

“Flame Wheel!” Saylee ordered, ducking behind Chip to avoid being frozen herself. She heard Sewell squeal, followed by a _splash_ as the wheel of fire rolled through the blizzard and knocked him into the water.

“Sewell, return,” she heard her grandfather call. “Well played again. Lucy has yet to defeat Sewell, though she does not use fire. You had a great advantage.”

“You were prepared for it, with that Mud Bomb,” Saylee countered, stepping out from behind Chip. “Great job, Chip. Return.” She put him away and looked back at her grandfather. “I take what advantages I can get. I’m not used to battles where you get points for fighting fair.”

“Nor should you be,” Pryce said, holding up an old apricorn-style pokéball. “Then to the third and final round. Did you know that Sevilen here is Seward’s grandfather? He is one of my oldest Pokémon, but not too old to fight!”

Saylee had seen Sevilen before, but he still made her gape. The fifty-year-old Dewgong was _huge_ ; he dwarfed Lucy’s Seraphine and even Lorelei’s Diane. When Saylee had first met him, she’d scanned him with her Pokédex and found that he was five metres long from horn to tail, nearly three times the size of a newly evolved Dewgong. His body was no longer the bright white of most Dewgong, but a pale pearly grey, and his left eye was gone with a cross-shaped scar in its place. Other old battle scars were scattered around his body and his tail was ragged, but the point of his horn was still gleaming and sharp.

“Sevilen, it is time for us to battle Saylee,” Pryce said. “I think you will find this battle interesting.”

“Never have I battled any of your grandchildren before,” Sevilen said, peering at Saylee out of his remaining eye. “I am interested already.”

“She defeated Seward and Sewell,” Pryce said proudly. “She has earned it.”

“Oh- _ho_!” The water around Sevilen was cooling again; ice floes were beginning to form on the top, and shards of pumice rose to float with the continually falling hailstones. “Did you defeat them with your bare hands, young one, or have you Pokémon for me to fight?”

 _We’ve done a lot of work over the winter,_ Saylee thought, raising the Ultra Ball. _Let’s see what the results are._ “Gabriel!”

Sevilen was huge, but Gabriel was larger still, and he was undersized for a Gyarados. He’d never grow as large as Miranda had, probably, but his power was already greater. The cavernous hall suddenly seemed too small for the leviathans’ battle.

“Aurora Beam!” Pryce commanded. The wave of frozen rainbow light was brighter and wider than any of Seraphine’s, making Gabriel roar and shiver.

“Flamethrower, Gabriel!” Saylee commanded. Gabriel had shown himself capable of learning some very interesting powers by TM, and thankfully the nurse at the clinic had been right when she’d assured that the disc-to-ball download wouldn’t do any harm to the damaged Gyarados. The bright orange flames blasted through the aurora, though they didn’t damage Sevilen. “Now Dragon Rage!” the flames turned blue, and _that_ got to Sevilen. Dragonfire burned _anything_.

“Rest up, Sevilen,” Pryce ordered calmly. Sevilen immediately curled up on an ice floe and went to sleep. The burns on his hide faded.

 _Rest… I don’t have long before he wakes up._ “Bite him, Gabriel!” Saylee commanded. Gabriel sank his fangs into Sevilen’s side, yanking him off of the ice floe. “Now, Dragon Rage again!”

Gabriel blasted Sevilen across the arena with sizzling blue flames. Sevilen groaned in pain as he awoke.

“Arthur,” he murmured. “I…” he suddenly slumped again. Saylee’s grandfather walked quickly around his fallen Dewgong, sighing at an angry red burn on his tail.

“An aggravated burn,” he said, unscrewing the apricorn ball to return Sevilen. “Ahh, my poor old Sevilen.” He turned and beckoned to Saylee.

“Well done,” she said to Gabriel, hugging him and climbing onto his back. “You won!”

“Won!” Gabriel said happily. “I did well!”

“Yes you did,” Saylee said, reaching his head and patting his crest. “Swim over to my grandfather there, please?”

“Swim swim swim!” Gabriel happily splashed over to where Pryce was standing. Pryce reached a hand up to help Saylee down from Gabriel’s back.

“Gabriel here has improved amazingly over the winter,” he said approvingly. “Here. I have been meaning to give this to you before you journey on, and now seems as good a time as any.” He pulled a silver necklace with a six-sided blue-and-silver emblem hanging from it out of his pocket and stepped behind Saylee, draping it around her neck and fastening it for her. “Helen had it made. It’s silver and enamel, so perhaps don’t wear it in battles. This snowflake design is the Glacier, the symbol of our family. You ought to have something with it on.” He tapped the old brooch that was pinned to his scarf. “Unless you’d rather have this, the brooch of the master of the family.”

“Nah, Lucy has her sights set on that, she’d kill me if I took it,” Saylee said, grinning widely and actually feeling a little like crying as she held up the little enamelled snowflake in her fingers. “Thank you… so much. Really, I…” she sniffed and wiped quickly at her eyes.

“You, your mother and your brothers are all part of our family, Saylee,” Pryce said gently. “And we couldn’t be happier to have you. We already gave Silver his pendant for his birthday, but Helen wants your opinion before she commissions anything for your brother Red; tell me, is he the ring type?”

Saylee laughed. “No, Red would hate anything that makes it harder for him to use his hands. He’d probably go for a pendant too, like Silver…”

“I hope that we can meet him soon and ask him for ourselves,” Pryce said softly. Saylee nodded, following him out of the dojo.

{}

“Tomorrow should be a good time to go,” Lucy suggested while fiddling with the toaster a few mornings later. “The Icy Path’ll still be _icy_ , it always is, but it’s safe to travel.”

“ _Finally,_ ” Silver complained. “D’you think the toaster’ll be working by then?”

“Ta-daa,” Lucy declared as the toast finally popped out. “Wait, are you coming too? What about school?”

“Fuck school,” Silver said, buttering his toast. “It’s pointless.”

“Watch your language,” Saylee said. “He’s been suspended twice already, Lucy. I don’t think the school here’s working out for him.” Both of the suspensions had been for fighting, thanks to Silver’s hair-trigger temper and dearth of previous schooling. He could read and had a good education in math and criminal business, but his historical and geographical education was non-existent, his pop culture and literature knowledge was scant at best and he didn’t know any of the sports they played in Phys Ed. He was behind in most of his subjects, which in Saylee’s opinion wasn’t helped by him being moved down to Primary Five. Perhaps the teachers had thought that he’d do better when the work was easier, but the Primary Five teacher was a stern woman named Cook who had very quickly lost patience with Silver’s temper and insolence and was trying to get him to engage with his classes by shaming him into doing his catchup work. Silver, being a contrary little shit, had responded to this by refusing to do any work at all, and he was losing all progress with his language and attitude. It just got worse every time Mrs Cook punished him for it.

He wasn’t getting along with the other kids, either. He didn’t have or care about any of the toys and games that the other kids had, didn’t care about the cartoons that they did, and didn’t respond well to being mocked for it. Very few other kids had Pokémon and none of them trained their Pokémon to fight. After Silver’s birthday party, he’d been starting to get along with the kids in his Primary Six class, but moving down a class had damaged those friendships. Silver had nothing in common with the kids in his new class, most of whom thought he was insane since they’d previously only seen him blowing up and attacking other kids in the playground. Gareth occasionally following him to school and spooking the other kids for his trainer’s amusement didn’t help.

“Don’t think it’s working out? It’s _pointless_ ,” Silver said in between bites of toast. “The other kids are _stupid_ , Miss Cook is a _bitch_ , and all of the subjects are _useless_. Why do I need to know about some book some Sinnish guy wrote eight hundred years ago? Why do I need to know how volcanoes work? Who _cares_? It’s pointless!”

“Knowing how volcanoes work can come in handy,” Saylee disagreed, “but… well, Silver, much as I’d love for you to get an education, you’re clearly not getting one here. So you’re welcome to come with me if you like.”

“Better than staying in this boring-ass town,” Silver insisted. “Besides, if I go off on my own you’ll follow me, won’t you, you creep. Plus, Wyatt said that the trainers in Blackthorn ride _dragons._ They’ll be _strong_.”

“Lee was trainin’ a dragon,” Chip pointed out.

“Yeah, well…” Silver dropped his empty plate in the sink and wandered off. “Tyra! TYRA! GUESS WHAT!”

“Ceez, that kid…” Lucy sighed, watching him go. “Should we really bring him along?”

“He wants to go, and outside of school he’s making progress,” Saylee said with a shrug. “Besides… I promised him that I wouldn’t leave him behind. I need to keep that promise.”

“You’re just going away for a few days,” Lucy pointed out.

“That’s still going away,” Saylee replied. “His dad said he’d be back soon, and he wasn’t. I suspect his mum’s done the same thing too. He has no reason to believe someone saying that. Anyway…” The kettle _clicked_ and let off a blast of steam. She filled up the teapot. “I’m gonna go pack my supplies. How much food do you think Greta’ll give us?”

{}

Icy Path was exactly as advertised; cold, dark, rather close and covered with ice. Silver kept Mag and Siren out for defence; Saylee did the same with Mary and Chip, who were the pair of the most appropriate size and type to handle the cold, tight tunnel. Lucy’s Sasha and Emilie lead the way. Sasha was from the Icy Path herself and was able to convince most territorial Swinub to give them a wide berth; however, they weren’t the only Pokémon in Icy Tunnel, and Jynx in particular could be quite bitchy about having to share the path. They ate lunch on the move, but by about six on Saylee’s pokégear clock Lucy lead them up onto a relatively ice-free rocky plateau for dinner and campbuilding.

“Are you gonna eat that or not?” Silver demanded, having already devoured his serving of mashed potatoes and synthmeat sausages and covetously eying Saylee’s. Lucy had produced all of the food from her databag. It looked like a small bumbag, but when unzipped it just had a flat pad like a portpad and a holographic menu of the items stored inside, which included food. Saylee had never eaten data-stored food before and had somewhat suspiciously wondered if it would taste odd, but it was delicious and as warm as their blowout farewell dinner the previous night had been.

“You can have some if you’re still hungry,” Saylee said, holding out her bowl. Lucy slapped her hand away.

“I’ll get more for him out of here. I packed food for three months,” Lucy said, patting the small databag slung around her waist. “Seriously, I’m amazed you haven’t finished yours. You always scarf it at home, so how come you’re eating almost nothing now?”

“I’m eating,” Saylee said, taking another bite. “I don’t know. A bit of paranoia now that I’m on the move again, I guess. I feel like I need to ration.”

“Let me repeat; I packed three months’ worth in here, and this’ll be four days tops,” Lucy said, patting her bag. “You can stuff yourself stupid. How come you don’t feel like you need to ration yourself at home?”

“’Cause people are giving me food, I guess. I don’t know,” Saylee said, taking a few more bites. “I’m fine. I’m not that hungry anyway.”

“This is why you’re a midget,” Lucy pointed out.

“That’s it, you don’t get to sleep next to Chip tonight,” Saylee declared, grinning at her large, warm Typhlosion who was lazily breathing fire at a flock of Golbat.

“No faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaair!” Lucy cried, throwing a sausage at her cousin. Silver snatched it out of the air and stuffed it in his mouth as fast as he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Saylee fought Pryce! You thought it was never gonna happen, didn’t you? :P
> 
>  
> 
> Unseen but caught:
> 
> Name: Will. Species: Weepinbell. Nature: Sassy. Ability: Chlorophyll. Location: Route 44. Level: 22.
> 
> Name: Jeanie. Species: Jynx. Nature: Relaxed. Ability: Forewarn. Location: Ice Path. Level : 22


	48. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 21 
> 
> Deaths: 3

“Hello? Is someone there?”

“Someone’s down there?” Lucy said, sitting down on the edge of an icy ledge and peering over it. “There’s a way around here, but it takes about an hour and we’ve already been walking for half the day, so… padded trousers, do your thing!” She pushed off and slid down the slope. Sasha and Emilie slipped after her.

“Looks like fun!” Siren said, hopping off the edge. “C’mon!” She slid down after Lucy. Mag floated out over the ledge, looking expectantly back at Silver.

“You ready to go?” Saylee asked Silver as he sat down on the ledge.

“Hmph. Just making sure _you_ don’t wuss out,” Silver said, pushing himself off the edge. Mag followed close behind. Saylee rolled her eyes and followed with Chip and Mary.

At the bottom, Lucy was crouching next to a woman and peering at her shoes. “Your sandals froze on,” she said. “Seriously, do you people have to wear these outfits _everywhere_?”

“For the love of…” Saylee rubbed her forehead in exasperation as she recognized the elaborate dress and makeup of a geisha. “What are _you_ doing here? Are you people stalking me again?”

“Not on this occasion, I assure you,” the woman said, as if that was supposed to reassure Saylee. “I have urgent business with Master Ryujin.”

“How on earth did you get through this cave on your own?” Lucy asked, dumbfounded.

“With great difficulty,” the geisha said, clutching her skirt while she tugged at her feet.

“Chip, can you defrost her a little?” Saylee asked. Chip nodded and leaned down, huffing hot breath over the geisha’s frozen feet. “Lucy mentioned Master Ryujin before… the head of the Dragon Clan, right?”

“Indeed,” the geisha said, smiling as her sandals slipped free. She straightened her skirt and yellow sash. “My business with him is confidential. If you will excuse me… you have my gratitude.” She bowed gracefully and then slid off with surprising speed, moving as if she were dancing.

“What the hell was that?” Silver wanted to know.

“What the hell is a _geisha_ doing here?” Lucy asked, dumbfounded. “I’ve never seen them outside of Ecruteak…”

“They sideline as well-dressed stalkers,” Saylee informed. “And I think they must be pretty powerful trainers, too. This isn’t the first out-of-the-way place I’ve met one…” she frowned. “Although for all I know, it’s always the same one following me. I know there are a bunch of them, but under all of that heavy makeup and tutored accent, how do you tell two of them apart?”

“Who cares?” Silver asked.

“All you humans look the same anyway,” Siren complained.

“How ‘bout we _move_?” Mary suggested. “It’s proper _Sinnish_ in here!”

“We’re not far from Blackthorn now,” Lucy promised. “This way…”

{}

After two more days of cold and dark, the cave exited onto a thin, flat path up the mountainside.

“Everybody bigger than Emilie and not flying, away,” Lucy said. Sasha, Tyra, Chip and Mary were all returned and replaced with Zeb, Gareth and Tobias. “There’s snow and ice on the path, and the air here’s… really thin…” she was panting by the end of the sentence. Saylee breathed deep, trying to suck in all the oxygen she could. Zeb and Tobias clearly had to work hard to keep flapping their wings.

Lucy and Emilie led the way up the narrow slope. Saylee had climbed in the hills around Cerulean before, but none of them were this _high_. It didn’t take a lot of strain to leave them all gasping for breath, and there was plenty of strain to be had. The path was so thin in some places that they had to creep along sideways, pressed tight against the rock wall with Mag, Zeb and Tobias fluttering at people’s backs to support them. Saylee had initially tried walking along with her back to the cliff face, but the view over the path’s edge had made her change her mind. There were clouds _below_ her. She couldn’t even see the base of the mountain.

Darkness descended quickly. When it did, blue flames suddenly flickered to life in sconces carved into the cliff wall. Saylee hadn’t even noticed them; they all looked like natural indentations in the cliff face.

“ _Pretty_ …” Tobias said in awe.

“ _Showy,_ ” Silver complained. “I can’t see my… damn feet. How’m I… supposed to move… like this?” Saylee was clinging a lot tighter to the rock herself.

“Move slowly… and… feel out… every step…” Saylee told him, testing every step with her foot before moving. Silver yelped in surprise as Gareth suddenly picked him up, floating along by the cliff. “Could you… have done that… any time?” she demanded.

“Yeah,” Gareth said with a grin.

“Why… didn’t you?” Silver demanded.

“You didn’t ask,” Gareth said simply. “Whee!” he flew off with Silver, who initially yelled in anger and descended into a breathless noise that he would probably deny to his dying day was giggling.

“I… think we’re… nearly there…” Lucy huffed. “Nicole’s house… is near the foot… of the village…” she took a couple of deep breaths. “Friend of mine… trained here… with her… before…”

By “the foot of the village” she meant a relatively flat plateau halfway up the side of the mountain. Saylee could just about see the peak of the mountain, but it was so distant that she had to wonder if there’d be any air left at all at the peak. Dozens of ancient-looking stone houses were clustered on the plateau, each with blue fire blazing around the edge of its roof.

Lucy walked past a couple and knocked on one with a door painted deep blue. “Nicole!” she called. “It’s me, Lucy Pryce!”

The heavy door slowly swung open. The girl in the hut was a couple of years older than Lucy and Saylee, with dark blue hair piled high on her head and a dark red cloak wrapped around her. She grinned brightly at them.

“Welcome, Lucy!” she said. “Hey there, Emilie! You’ve come by early this year.” She raised her right hand, twirling it in a little circle and then placing it over her heart. Lucy repeated the gesture, glancing at Saylee, who did the same. Silver pointedly ignored them when Gareth swooped down and set him down safely. “I see you’ve got some new travelling companions. Finally given up on those useless brothers of yours?”

“Gave up on them years ago,” Lucy said, rolling her eyes. “These are my cousins, Saylee and Silver.”

“Didn’t know you had cousins called Saylee and Silver,” Nicole said, stepping back to clear the doorway. “Welcome to Blackthorn. My home is yours, weary traveller, for the length of my hospitality.” She bowed them in. Despite how ancient and worn the house looked from the outside, the inside was as comfortable and high-tech as any apartment in Goldenrod, and a good deal larger. Most of the décor tended towards midnight blue and wine red.

“Nice to meet you,” Saylee said to Nicole.

“Spirits bless this house,” Tobias said, flitting inside. “Ooooh, it’s _warm_!”

“Urgh, it’s _warm_ ,” Siren complained, loping reluctantly after Silver as he slouched into the house.

“Cold as a Sneasel’s tear though this land be, it doth make us strong.”

“Sneasel don’t cry, you overgrown Ekans,” Siren said, walking over to the Dratini that was lounging by the fireplace, watching TV. “We’re too badass for that.”

“Siren, be polite, we’re guests,” Saylee said, looking at Silver. “Are you going to be polite?”

“If you train dragons, you’re strong, right?” Silver said to Nicole. “If I prove _I’m_ strong, can I train a dragon?”

“If a dragon chooses you,” Nicole said, sitting down next to her Dratini. “I was older than you, and had to master many forms of strength, before Draci here chose me. I’m still learning.”

“Together we learn, together we grow, and from the wisdom of humans and Pokémon both we become our best,” Draci said, looking at Saylee. “Upon you I scent a dragon, cousin of Lucy.”

“I… used to train a Dragonair.” Saylee reached into her bag and pulled out Diana’s horn and cracked blue sphere. “I failed her. She was killed in a Team Rocket trap.”

“A _Dragonair_?” Nicole breathed in awe. “Draci and I have trained here for three years and she hasn’t evolved yet!”

“Well, she evolved when I met her,” Saylee explained. “She was already very strong. I saved her when she was poisoned, and she said she owed me a life debt.”

“Then she did pass, no doubt, satisfied by a debt repaid,” Draci said solemnly. “You do her a great service by returning her to this mountain her mother. Know you her name?”

“Diana,” Saylee said. Draci nodded.

“Blood sister was she to Daenerys and Delline, those who have sworn themselves unto the Lady Clair, but never did Diana care for the Lady,” Draci said. “Said she that the Lady lacks in strength of the will and does allow herself to become mired by the ghosts that haunt her. To speak true, oft do our kind set out to the lands beyond Blackthorn, seeking strengths not grown in this land. So did Diana leave, and strength she must have found in you.”

“…Thank you,” Saylee said, bowing her head to Draci and holding out the horn and pearl. “Where do I inter these?”

“One of the Dragonlords or Dragonladies will take them into the shrine for you,” Nicole offered. “Only they really have the right to go in there.”

“How do _I_ get the right?” Saylee asked. “I promised Diana that I’d bring her back here. I _promised_.” She gripped the horn and orb tightly. “I intend to lay her to rest with my own two hands.”

“Mum says it’s sinful to break a vow to the dead,” Tobias added. “They won’t be able to rest until the vow is fulfilled.”

“Can’t you let her in, just this once?” Lucy asked. Nicole shook her head.

“I haven’t even earned the right to enter the shrine yet,” she said. “Draci can… she’s a dragon. But I can’t. I might be granted the right in a few years, if I become a Dragonlady… but for outsiders, only knights may enter.”

“Our grandfather’s a knight,” Silver pointed out. Saylee was surprised to hear him back her up… and call Pryce “grandfather”, which he’d never yet done to the man’s face. “What? He _is_. Stop giving me that look.”

Nicole shook her head. “Knighthood is not hereditary. You cannot ride on the coattails of your ancestors’ accomplishments, or be punished for their sins. That’s what we believe.” She got up again and went through to the kitchen. “I offered you hospitality, so that means dinner. Eat up. Tomorrow, you can negotiate with Lady Clair if you really want to. I have to warn you, she’s notoriously stubborn and prickly.”

“The Lady has been ever such since her lover did desert her, years ago,” Draci sighed, turning her attention back to the television.

“Hey, I love this show!” Gareth said, floating over next to her. “You got to the bit where Lord whatisface gets beheaded?”

“ _What_?” Draci gasped. “I have yet seen no beheadings… tell me not whom dies!”

“Everyone,” Gareth said simply.

“Calm down and ignore him. He’s a Gengar, they just like to mess with people,” Saylee said, unwilling to mention that she’d seen the episode herself with how heartbroken Draci looked. She and Lucy had cried together over it. “So who’s Lady Clair?”

“She’s Master Ryujin’s granddaughter, and his heir since her cousin ran off,” Lucy said. “He was her fiancée too. She’s been a right bitch ever since. I mean, I’ve been told she used to be pretty cool, but the only times I’ve seen her, she’s been pretty bitchy.”

“The oldest lineage of the humans here does well to keep its line pure,” Draci said. “It is said that in times long past, they wed brother to sister to ensure purity.”

“Apparently, if you’re ancient and respectable enough, incest becomes kind of okay,” Lucy said with a shrug, making a face. Silver looked from her to Saylee and gagged.

“Ew, ew, _ew_ ,” he grumbled. “I’m not marrying either of _you_.”

“Agreed,” Saylee said with a shudder. “I think our family’s messed up enough as it is.”

{}

Silver dropped straight off to sleep after stuffing himself at dinner. Everyone’s Pokémon went into their pokéballs for the night due to the small size of Nicole’s house. Nicole, Lucy and Saylee sat up late, watching the news.

“… _intervention of Lt Surge in Vermillion City, the Power Plant is nearing completion and should coincide with the completion of the magnet train line. The repair of this line will connect Kanto and Johto for the first time since before…_ ”

“Funny thing, isn’t it,” Nicole commented absentmindedly. “Someone says _before_ —not before _when_ , just _before_ —and immediately everyone knows when you mean.”

“I was just a baby at the time, and I know what you mean,” Lucy agreed. “It’s an even bigger deal for everyone older than us. I mean, I wasn’t old enough to forget much more than a couple of months of crying and crapping myself, but some people lost some pretty significant chunks of their lives.” She glanced at Saylee. “Nobody even knew that you _existed_. Uncle Gio never said anything…”

“He didn’t really know we existed,” Saylee said quietly. “Or care, much.”

“Well, he didn’t visit much anyway,” Lucy said with a shrug, “and really, he was kinda mean and creepy, so we were always glad to see the back of him.” She laughed. “When I was little, apparently, I asked dad if he and Uncle Gio were _really_ brothers. He just said ‘probably… maybe’.”

“The Masters of the clan keep very detailed records of lineage, both human and dragon,” Nicole said, “so there was never any confusion for us on that front. We have very detailed accounts of our histories and traditions, too, so it wasn’t that hard to get everything more or less back to what it was before. We think.”

“Back to the way it was before…” Saylee stared at the TV, which was now reporting the grand opening of Trainer Tower. “Wouldn’t it have been interesting to have had a fresh start, though? I mean…” she thought of the last letter she’d received from her mother, two days before they’d left for Blackthorn.

“ _Knowing what I know now, I’m glad of it. I wonder if I knew what he was back then, and if so what possessed me to think he would be a fit father for my children. I wonder, sometimes, if living with that shadow in your lives would have been better than the poverty of your childhoods… but wondering about that now doesn’t really make a difference, does it? I’m proud now of what I have, of the loving young woman that you’ve become, and the good man that I know Red is, wherever he is…”_

“Most of our parents aren’t criminal psychopaths, though,” Lucy pointed out lightly.

“Yeah… never mind, I’m just being silly,” Saylee said, shaking her head. “Nicole… you’ve never heard of a trainer named Red, have you? He’d be about… bloody hell, nearly twenty now. Black hair, red eyes. Do you know him?”

“I don’t know if a trainer like that’s ever passed through here,” Nicole said, “but you can ask Lady Clair tomorrow. She knows every outsider that comes through here, though to be fair there’s not a lot. I heard rumours that some guy from the outside’s been holed up in the main household since the fall. Might be why she’s even more prickly than ever…”

{}

“Dragons, eh?” Georgia said as they gathered in one of the boulder-strewn training fields near Blackthorn City. “’Ow d’you foight them, then?”

“With ice, preferably,” Saylee said, looking at Nider and Gabriel. “If it comes to a fight—and it probably will, these types always want you to ‘prove yourself’—I’ll be counting on you two for Ice Beam and Ice Fang.”

“Ice Fang!” Gabriel gnashed his teeth, shards of ice falling from his jaws.

“I take it you’re on board with that,” Saylee laughed. “I’ll need you too, Mary.”

“Whit? _Me_?” Mary said in surprise. “I’m no’ an ice fighter, get that Emilie or that cheeky wee bint Siren…”

“They also train the lesser dragons here,” Saylee explained. “As in Horsea and Seadra. As in Gyarados. I trust I can count on you to handle them?”

“ _Them?_ Oh, aye, nae probs,” Mary said with an evil grin, her fists crackling with electricity. Gabriel shuffled away nervously. “Calm doon, big yin, this isnae fae you.”

“We’re fighting dragons? That is so many _kinds_ of badass!” Nider said excitedly. “Let’s _do_ this! RAAAH!”

“Saylee,” Draci said, appearing around a rock. “My Lady wishes that you know that you are to have an audience at the hall of Lady Clair upon the fall of night. There shalt be decided your right to enter unto the Dragon Shrine.”

“ _Brilliant_ ,” Saylee said, clapping her hands together. “We’re going to get a bit of training in, so can you come back then to lead the way?”

“Of course. Good fortune to you.” Draci nodded to Saylee and disappeared. Saylee turned back to her Pokémon.

“You heard her, guys,” she said. “Now, who got a chance to spar with Diana?”


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 21 
> 
> Deaths: 3

The hall of Lady Clair, it transpired, was, like the majority of the city, inside the mountain. It was also astonishingly warm inside. Saylee soon shed her hat, gloves, scarf and eventually coat as they descended into the tunnels. They weren’t rough rock; the floors were tiled, the walls panelled and lushly decorated, and doors dotted around with signs indicating that inside were shops or family homes. The tunnel was well-lit by lines of blue dragonfire running through the walls rather than any electric lighting. It steadily grew far too hot for the heat to be simply from the torches.

“Nicole,” Saylee said nervously, “is this a mountain or a volcano?”

“Don’t worry, it’s dormant,” Nicole assured her, straightening her cape which she somehow wasn’t baking under.

“Dormant just means that it’s not exploding _right this second_ ,” Saylee muttered. “Doesn’t mean it _won’t_.”

“Are you _scared_?” Silver said, sniggering.

“Yes, Silver, I am afraid of all of us being burned alive by liquid rock and fire,” she said, a little testily. “There is a time and a place for fear. Inside of a live volcano is one such place.”

“Dormant,” Lucy reminded her. “Do you want to go back?”

“Of course not,” Saylee said, though she clutched at Gabriel’s pokéball a little nervously. She was all too aware that magma was hot enough to burn even a Gyarados to death.

“Conquering your fear is a good first step, little girl, but there are a great many more steps to follow before you’re worth _my_ time!”

Voices carried well in the tunnels, and a woman’s powerful voice emanated clearly from the hall ahead of them. The tunnel opened up quite abruptly into a tall, broad cavern. It wasn’t panelled like the hallways, remaining a cavern of rough stone with channels in the floor along the sides of the hall. Saylee tried to peer into one, but she couldn’t get close enough to see before blistering heat threatened to sear her skin off. She turned her attention back to the dragon trainers watching her from the huge steps at the far end of the hall.

Clair was easy to pick out. She was a striking woman, tall and imposing with bright blue hair in a high ponytail and an intense glare that Saylee could _feel_ even though she was too far away to clearly see the woman’s face. Like all of the citizens of Blackthorn, Clair was wearing a long, flowing cape. According to Nicole, the colour and finery of capes in Blackthorn were a code that displayed your rank and family. The trainers in the hall wore noticeably finer capes than the other Blackthorn residents that Saylee had passed on her way up to the mountain, and Clair wore the finest of all, sable black with silver lining. It billowed dramatically every time she moved.

All in all, Saylee couldn’t help feeling that the blue jumpsuit and knee-length boots that exactly matched Clair’s hair spoiled the impression somewhat. Saylee felt significantly less intimidated when the cape was flung aside to reveal _that_ ensemble.

“Lady Clair,” Saylee called out. “I ask your permission to enter the shrine and lay my Dragonair to rest.”

“A member of our clan can do that for you,” Clair responded, descending from the steps at the back of the hall. Saylee stepped towards her, shaking her head.

“I swore that I would do it with my own hands,” Saylee said firmly.

“An outsider has no right to enter our shrine,” Clair said scornfully.

“Tell me how I may earn the right, then,” Saylee replied.

“I _could_ let you in, just this once,” Clair said, stepping up to a podium set in front of the steps, “if you can beat me. But I highly doubt that the likes of you would be a worthy opponent for anyone in _this_ clan.”

“If you’re so tough, shut up and fight already!” Silver shouted irritably. “This is _boring_. And your outfit is dumb.”

“Control your tongue in front of the Lady Clair!” a man in an ash-grey cloak barked sharply. Silver just stuck said tongue out at him. “She is too fine a trainer to waste her time on the likes of you!”

“Alright, then,” Saylee said, stepping forwards and spreading her arms. “I see how it is. So, my lady, how many of your flunkies do I need to beat to earn the right to fight you?”

“You will regret your insolence, outsider!” the same man shouted, stepping in front of Clair and releasing a Horsea, which propped itself up on the stone floor by its springy, curled tail.

“They do call pride the deadliest vice,” Saylee said, releasing Mary. “This is very relevant to you, trust me.”

{}

Five dragon trainers later, Saylee was standing between Nider and Mary, both of whom were entirely unscathed. They had both kept up their training over the winter, and it showed, making them more than a match for the dragons they faced.

Saylee had expected more than a horde of Horsea and Dratini. Then again, none of the trainers that she’d faced had introduced themselves as _Lord_ or _Lady_ , so evidently they weren’t the highest rankers in the clan. Clair herself was the only one left to face Saylee.

“So, you know how to play clever,” Clair said, taking out a pokéball. “How cute. A battle with you might be entertaining after all. Be warned, though; you face Lady Clair now. There is no such thing as casual battle. There is no quarter. You must give your all, or be lost.”

Saylee looked from Mary to Nider. “Guys… Nicole warned me about this. She’s fighting to kill if she can,” she said softly. “I know we came to put Diana to rest, but it’s not worth…”

“You’re no’ backin’ oot now, are ye?” Mary said. “We arnae frit o’ this mouthy bint…”

“Yeah, if she’s a killer, she ain’t no lady,” Nider said, straightening his hat. “Now Di, she was a proper lady. True class. We ain’t leavin’ ‘til she gets a proper rest!”

“Alright, then,” Saylee said. “Remember, Clair, you promised me! One-time access when I beat you!”

“ _If_ you beat me, arrogant girl,” Clair replied, releasing a Gyarados. “Bite, Matia!”

“Discharge, Mary!” Saylee ordered. Mary waited until Matia’s jaws closed around her to blast out her stores of electricity. She followed it up with thunderpunch for good measure, knocking the huge water-type cold.

“Poor Matia’s only a Gyarados, after all,” Clair sighed, returning her. “Just a lesser dragon. Let us see how you fare against a _true_ dragon like Delline!”

Saylee had braced herself for an immensely powerful Dragonair, but the one that appeared wasn’t much larger than Diana had been. _They’re not invincible. They can be defeated._ “Nider! Ice Beam!”

Nider stepped forwards as Mary leapt back, firing a beam of ice from his horn. Delline wailed as she failed to dodge it completely. Her tail froze over, dragging her to the ground.

“Thunder Wave, Delline!” Clair called. Delline’s horn crackled with electricity that flowed towards Nider, hitting him at the same moment that a second blast of ice beam took her down.

“Are you alright, Nider?” Saylee called.

“Doin’ just fine,” Nider responded, straightening his hat. “I can do this all day!”

“Can you?” Clair said icily. “Can you hold up against Haralda?”

“Bugger,” Saylee said, seeing Clair’s third Pokémon. “I think she’s serious now.” It was like an oversized Seadra, with none of the spiky crests that were common in the species but a long, flowing crest instead. It propped itself up on its long, curled tail and fluttered long, elegant fins. Saylee got out her pokédex to find that it was a semi-mythical water dragon called Kingdra. Saylee had never seen one before, but if Dragonite were real, why not Kingdra?

“You think I’m scared of _that_?” Nider sneered. “Call it!”

“Ice Beam!” Saylee ordered. Nider fired up the freezing attack again.

“Hydro Pump,” Clair commanded placidly. Haralda’s long, thin snout suddenly opened up surprisingly wide and fired a huge blast of water at Nider. It was powerful enough to knock aside the ice beam. Hydro Pump could hit with the force of a tidal wave.

“Nider, get out of the way!” Saylee screamed. Nider began to leap, but tripped suddenly as his leg _jerked_ out from under him. Delline had paralyzed him.

He looked up to face the blast. “Son of a—”

Then the water knocked into him, slamming him backwards and then over the edge, dropping him into one of the channels around the edge of the room.

“NIDER!” Saylee screamed, running towards the edge with his pokéball in hand. It wouldn’t work, wouldn’t respond, and as she ran towards the edge she could feel searing heat pushing her back.

“Lee! Haud up, Lee!” Mary yelled, grabbing her arm to haul her back. “If you dinnae back up, I’ll zap ye, see if I dinnae!”

Saylee tried to pull away and seized up sharply. By the time her head cleared, she was back at the edge of the field, ears ringing and entire body hurting. “Sorry ‘boot that,” Mary panted. “We got a battle tae finish, Lee. Dinnae let that be the end o’ it. Please dinnae…” there was a faint glimmer in her eyes that might have been tears, instantly drying in the blazing heat. Saylee could feel tears evaporating on her own cheeks.

“If you do not select your next combatant soon, I will consider you to have yielded,” Clair called. “There’s no shame in doing so after such a grievous loss.”

“Aye, _right_ ,” Mary growled, stepping forwards.

“No, wait,” Saylee said, holding up a green-and-black apricorn ball. “Let’s try this. Gabriel!”

The blood-red Gyarados roared unhappily as he materialized. “Hot! Hot! HOT!” he complained, thrashing his tail.

“You’re right, we need to cool it down,” Saylee agreed. “Ice Fang!”

“Dragon Rage!” Clair ordered. Gabriel plowed through the blue fire as if it were nothing, biting down hard on Haralda. He reared up again, shaking Haralda in his jaws.

“Let me GO, you overgrown Magikarp!” Haralda shrieked. “CLAIR!”

“HYPER BEAM!” Clair shouted. Haralda hit Gabriel at point-blank range with the most powerful energy beam in existence. Gabriel roared and dropped Haralda, who collapsed to the ground, exhausted. Gabriel fell…

…and swept Haralda up in his icy jaws again, biting even harder. Haralda wailed in pain and went limp. Gabriel kept biting down.

“Gabriel, _drop her_!” Saylee ordered sharply. “ _Drop her NOW!”_

Gabriel dropped Haralda, looking unhappy at the tone of Saylee’s voice. “Bad?” he said tentatively, blood dripping from his jaws. “I did what you said…”

“Too much,” Saylee said gently, watching Clair return her Kingdra. “You nearly killed her. That would be bad.”

“Oh, yeah… no killing,” Gabriel rumbled. “Bad. Okay.”

“I’m not done!” Clair screamed, visibly incensed. She released another Dragonair, larger than Delline but still smaller than Gabriel. “Daenerys! Thunder Wave!”

“Ice Fang,” Saylee commanded. Gabriel bit down tentatively as Daenerys tried to electrocute him. All she achieved was making his jaws seize up, causing him to bite down even harder. Daenerys screamed.

“Return, Gabriel,” Saylee said, bringing him back into his pokéball before he unwittingly killed his captive. Daenerys collapsed to the ground in a pool of blood and steaming water.

“Dany!” Clair cried, returning the dragon to her pokéball and cradling it. “That’s it. We’re done.”

“We’re done when one of yours is hurt, but not when one of mine is dead?” Saylee asked bitterly. Clair glared sharply at her.

“No… because I have no more Pokémon,” she said between gritted teeth. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to go get Daenerys healed.”

“Then I have your permission to enter the shrine?” Saylee said, walking towards the great steps.

“No!” Clair shouted sharply. “You _don’t_! You’re just an outsider!”

“You gave your word!” Saylee shouted, clenching her fists until the scar on her hand burned. She could feel her hair rising with static as Mary crackled angrily.

“I didn’t expect to have to keep it!” Clair yelled back. “You weren’t supposed to win!”

“But you _did_ give your word, dearest…”

Saylee stopped, staring at the man who had wandered out of a side passage at the base of the steps, leaning against the wall and grinning lazily at her. Clair rounded on him. “ _You_ go back to bed,” she snarled. “You’re missing three ribs, some intestine and a kidney.”

“Good thing I’ve got two, huh?” Lance said, patting his side with a wince. Some scarring was visible on the backs of his arms and on his chest where the neck of the loose red robe he was wearing opened. There was something dazed about his eyes and slurred about his voice.

“What are you doing up, anyway?” Clair demanded. “Do _you_ intend to fight?”

“No need,” Lance said airily. “She already beat me. How goes, Saylee?”

“Lance,” Saylee said, not entirely surprised that he’d turned up in Blackthorn. “How’s Draek?”

“Recovering.” Lance stepped forwards but had to slump back against the cave wall. He didn’t seem entirely steady on his left leg. “Oh, how things change. Dear, sweet Clair, a Dragonlady’s word is their bond, as a Dragonlord’s is, do you recall? If you gave your word, you must keep it. Although…” he cocked his head a little, raising an eyebrow as he stared at Clair. “Things have rather changed in the past fifteen years if a Lord or Lady is capable of granting access to the _shrine_.”

“…You need to talk to the Masters first,” Clair said irritably, pointing down a tunnel opposite the one that Lance had wandered out of. “Lance, _you’re_ still recovering. Go back to bed.”

Lance chuckled, running a hand through his hair and revealing that he’d brushed it over a long, jagged scar along the left side of his head. “As you command, my Lady, since you seem to command an awful lot these days,” he said lightly. “Just be yourself, Saylee, and I’m sure Grandfather will like you. My condolences over your Nidoking.” Clair stalked towards him and put an arm around his shoulders, dragging him firmly but not roughly down the corridor.

“Man, that guy’s a freak,” Silver said as he and Lucy ran up to Saylee. Lucy gave Saylee a hug. She was crying.

“I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. “The Dragonlords are extreme, but…”

“Can’t say she didn’t warn me,” Saylee said roughly. “Anyway, I don’t have time to cry right now. I have to lay Diana and Nider to rest first.”

“That path goes straight to the Masters,” Nicole said, pulling Lucy back from Saylee. “We can’t come with you. I’m sorry. We’re not invited.”

“What if I want to go _anyway_?” Silver complained. Mary put a hand on his shoulder. He winced as his hair fluffed up briefly and the rims of his glasses flashed. “Oi!”

“Sorry, laddie,” Mary said, “but it’s best ye no’. Dinnae want tae make ‘hings tough wi’ these dragonlairds. We got tae put sendin’ aff Di an’ Nider first.”

“…Nider was kinda cool,” Silver said gruffly, looking down. “He wasn’t weak. Even if he had a stupid hat. Tell… tell him that, okay?”

“Thank you, Silver,” Saylee, briefly daring a one-armed hug before turning and walking towards the tunnel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who didn’t see it on the Tumblr: The official theme song for Saylee is now The Light Behind Your Eyes by My Chemical Romance. It fits. Much too well.
> 
> In other news, cookies to who can guess what book series I was halfway through at the time I wrote these chapters. It might have been a little influential in developing the dragon clan. Juuuuuuusssst a tiny wee bit.
> 
> RIP Nider the Nidoking, level 12-44


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 20 
> 
> Deaths: 4

The paths past the hall were carved out of rough rock, and were so long and twisted so often that Saylee gave up trying to figure out what altitude she was at, or where she was in relation to the village. There was only one path, which Saylee and Mary followed in silence, and at the end of it…

…was an underground lake. It was vast and still, the cavern dark and full of silence.

Saylee had not expected that. Were they higher than the lava flows? Or below them? Or near them? Saylee wasn’t even sure that she was in the same mountain any more.

Across the water, she could faintly see a cluster of burning dragonfire torches. In the dim blue light she could see a wooden bridge extended towards them, but it was old and crumbling. It had collapsed entirely in the middle. Saylee walked as far out on the rotting wood as she dared and knelt on the edge of the bridge, peering into the dark water. Mary joined her, waving her glowing tail over the water so that they could see a little. Magikarp were swimming back and forth, hundreds of them, maybe thousands. They weren’t tightly packed, but Saylee still couldn’t make out the bottom of the lake. It was too deep.

The lake was so eerily quiet that Saylee nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a pebble fall into the water. She looked up to see a couple of baby Dratini peering at her out of a small cave. Then the long, elegant tail of a Dragonair wrapped around them and tugged them away from the cave mouth.

“Ooft,” Mary muttered. “This place is creepin’ me oot. Let’s get a shift oan, eh?”

Saylee nodded, releasing Gabriel and Tobias. Without Nider, Gabriel was their only way of crossing the water. If they were going to give Diana—and Nider—proper death rites, she wanted Tobias with her.

“Go towards those lights, Gabriel,” Saylee said, climbing up his blood-red back.

“Lights…” Gabriel said, beginning to swim. He held his head stiffly so as not to dunk Saylee and Mary into the water. On the way across the water, Saylee told Tobias what had happened.

“I wish he had some remains,” Tobias said sadly. “Even the hat. Then we could bury him with Diana. I think he’d like that. He was real upset when she died.”

“I know,” Saylee said. She clenched her fist, digging her nails into the scar on her left palm.

In front of the shrine was a large whirlpool. Before Saylee could stop him, Gabriel swam into it, powerful tail propelling them through the swirling waters without being sucked in.

“…did he even _notice_ that?” Tobias said in awe. Saylee wasn’t in the mood for smiling, but she let out a relieved breath and hugged Gabriel’s head before directing his attention to the wooden shrine steps, which were broad and extended down into the water.

“Well done, Gabriel,” Saylee said, disembarking on the shrine steps. Gabriel smiled as she stroked his crest. She was never quite sure how much the damaged Gyarados knew or understood, but he could tell when he was being praised and made a happy rumbling noise not unlike purring. Saylee returned him and turned to the shrine doors. In the light from Mary’s tail, she could see intricate paintings of storms and dragons in blue and gold.

“So d’ye knock or whit?” Mary asked. Saylee raised her hand, and hesitated.

“This is the shrine of the dragon clan,” she said. “They value strength and respect above all.”

“Sounds like a pretty fine line to walk to get both of them,” Tobias said. Saylee nodded, knocked on the door, and then pushed it open and strode inside.

A blond young man in a floor-length, shimmering silver robe stepped into the entry hall to greet her. “Clair sent me,” Saylee told him. “I’m to meet the Masters.”

“I’m afraid that the Masters are busy,” the young man said stiffly, but his eyes flickered briefly to the door next to the one that he’d come in through. It creaked open and a Dratini peered through.

“The _lesser_ Masters might have other matters to attend to,” the Dratini said, “but the High Master is most welcoming to any guest of the Lady Clair’s and would be most please to see you.”

“Well, I would, had my eyes not long ago deserted me…” a dry, raspy voice called out of the door. Saylee walked through it, Mary and Tobias in tow. She pretended not to see the faces they were making at the silver-cloaked acolyte.

The room was small but filled with incredibly lifelike statues of dragons. Saylee could recognize glittering carvings of Dratini, Dragonair, Dragonite, Kingdra and Gyarados, but there were a dozen others that she didn’t even know. One had a gold star in the middle of its forehead above a broad, mouth full of sharp alabaster teeth. Two looked like huge insects with ruby eyes. Another had three heads. All of them looked vicious.

At the end of the room, past all of the statues, was a high podium on which sat the oldest man that Saylee had ever seen. He seemed little more than a skeleton, with sunken, veiny skin that was white as bone and a bushy moustache and beard that were whiter still and long enough to drape off of the edge of the podium in front of him. His eyes were open and moved slightly when she walked towards him, but the pupils and iris were both pale grey, the sight long faded out of them. He was wrapped in a snow-white cloak. Two gold-cloaked attendants sat at either side of him. The Dratini curled up at his feet, and he reached out and stroked it gently on the head, moustache twitching up in a smile.

“Master Ryujin?” Saylee asked. She went on one knee in front of him, feeling like respect was probably the side to start on in this scenario. “My name is Saylee, of Kanto. I came to bury the horn of my Dragonair, Diana, amongst her ancestors’ bones. Lady Clair promised that if I defeated her, I would have the right to do so myself.”

“Ah, Clair… the child is cursed with arrogance,” the old man sighed. “Not without cause, it must be said, but still… no doubt she assumed that she could not lose.”

“Lose she did,” Saylee reassured him. “Though… though not easily. My Nidoking lost his life to the lava…” she swallowed back the lump in her throat. _This is not the time for tears._

“Your voice is thick, child,” the old man said. “Do you weep for your lost servant?”

“He wasn’t a _servant_ ,” Saylee snapped. “He was my _friend_ , and he died trying to put another friend to rest, and I _refuse_ to let that be wasted.”

“You will not speak to the Master so disrespectfully!” One of his aides snapped.

“I’m not part of your clan,” Saylee snapped back. “I’m just here for the sake of my dead friends. I beat Clair for this, I beat Lance more than a year ago, and if I have to fight you too, can we get on with it?”

The attendants looked incensed, but the old man laughed, a hacking laugh that soon descended into coughing. “Ah, forgive me… away, I’m fine,” he muttered to his aides as they leaned towards him. “Fire… it’s good to see fire in the young. Fight me? I’m old, child, the dragons I once fought alongside older still and no doubt now kings in the dragon caves at the mountain’s core. Your prowess in battle is undoubted, child. You defeated my granddaughter, with much to be prideful of and a little more pride; you once defeated my grandson and heir, who returned to us from the dead. It was you, too, who defeated Team Rocket twice, no?”

“Not on my own,” Saylee said uncomfortably.

“And whoever could do such things alone? It is your spirit I sought to test, child, and I find it strong too.” He nodded thoughtfully.

“So are we gettin’ tae send Di aff noo?” Mary asked. Tobias nodded and then looked sharply around at the door behind them.

“Did we not tell you of this already?”

“You again,” Saylee muttered, looking around at the geisha stepping through the door. It was the same geisha that she’d seen in the Icy Path, she was fairly sure. She was wearing the same yellow obi, which between the heavy makeup and otherwise identical clothing was the only way to tell them apart. The lady just bowed her head to Saylee, smiling, before performing a rather deeper bow to Master Ryujin.

“You Dragonlords must always see a thing yourselves to believe it,” she said to the Master. “Come, let her pass. Surely she has had enough of waiting to grieve. Those of Kanto are all too practiced in that art.”

“My staff,” Master Ryujin commanded, holding out his hand. One of the aides produced it and placed it into his hand. It was carved with a Dratini and Dragonair winding their way up the wood towards a Dragonite perched on top. With the staff and his aides’ assistance, he climbed to his feet. He was far taller than Saylee had expected. “Come, girl. You have something which needs committed to this sacred place?”

“Her horn and a pearl,” Saylee said, following him as he stepped down from the podium and through a door that one of the aides slid open.

“Keep the pearl. It will guard you,” the elder said. “Bring the horn. Have you prayers for her, pray them now.”

Tobias flew down and began muttering to the cracked horn. Mary joined him, having learned some of the prayers in Lavender. Saylee and the geisha followed the old man out of the shrine. He tapped the staff ahead of him, apparently finding his way largely by memory.

A walkway went straight over another great, roaring whirlpool. “O waters, we return your child unto you,” Master Ryujin intoned. “Care for and keep her and set her unto her rest.” He nodded at Saylee and pointed into the swirling waters with his staff. “Cast the horn into the whirlpool, child.”

Saylee gripped the horn and stared down into the water. Then she dragged the point of the horn across the scar on her left palm, cutting it open and staining the horn with her blood, ignoring the way it made two of her fingers twitch.

 _This is the best I can do, Nider,_ she thought, holding the horn out over the whirlpool. _The closest thing I have left to a piece of you. I hope you can know that you’re going to sleep among dragons. How badass is that? And Diana… I’ve brought you home, like I promised. Please forgive me that I brought you back dead…_

She dropped the horn into the water and watched it whirl away and vanish into the dark water. _Diana… Nider… goodbye._

“What is the meaning of this, grandfather?!”

“Another child who would do well to learn respect,” Master Ryujin muttered as Clair stormed towards them, looking furious. “She earned her right, Clair.”

“She’s an outsider!” Clair argued.

“Not the first to earn a right to this place, child,” Master Ryujin chided. “Any knight, outsider or no, has the right.”

Clair was starting to resemble a Gyarados, she was gaping so much. “Grandfather, do you truly mean to _knight_ her?”

“Her spirit and comrades are strong,” Master Ryujin said placidly. “She has won many a mighty battle, including against yourself and Lance, and her grandfather too, according to Arthur, a knight himself. She won the love and allegiance of a Dragonair—can you not see how that pearl shines in her hands?” Saylee looked down sharply at the pearl in her hands. There was a slight, shimmering light in there, but it had always been there. It was warm in her hands, but that might have been from her clutching it in her hand. “Indeed, in years past, knighthoods have been conferred for less. Well, Saylee of Kanto?” he said, placing a hand on Saylee’s shoulder. For all that his hand felt light and brittle, his grip was surprisingly strong. “Is there a more specific place from which you hail?”

“Just… Kanto,” Saylee said. She couldn’t think of anything more specific than that. Vermillion, where she’d been born? Pallet, where they’d settled? Viridian, where her father… _No_. “I’m from Kanto. Just Kanto.”

“Then I shall bless you as Sar Saylee of Kanto,” Master Ryujin said, touching her on each shoulder and then her forehead with his staff. “I pray for your dragon’s rest.”

“Grandfather, you must be joking!” Clair shouted. “Even _I_ haven’t been—!”

“Yes, and perhaps it would do you good to think on _why_ instead of throwing a tantrum!” Master Ryujin snapped. “I am old, not senile! You and your dragons are powerful indeed, but you all flaunt your power as if you were a proud child rather than putting it to use where it is needed! When Team Rocket was on the radio, what action were you taking? What would Lance think if he saw you like this, hmm?”

Clair paled. She turned sharply on her heel and strode off.

“That’s proper _brilliant_!” Mary said, hugging Saylee. Tobias did the same.

“You’re a knight, just like your granddad and all those cool people in Lucy’s movies!” he said excitedly.

“Thank you very much,” Saylee said, hugging them back. She buried her face is Mary’s shoulder. “I don’t deserve it…”

“Those that think such are often those that most do,” the geisha said, smiling at her. “Well then, Sar Kanto… you _must_ come by the dance hall and allow us to celebrate for you!”

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Saylee said, bowing to Master Ryujin and making for the door. “Maybe I’ll go visit Ethan when I get out of here…

“I see,” the geisha said, smiling widely at her. “Our doors are always open to you, Sar. Go in peace.”

Saylee glanced suspiciously at her, then headed back through the shrine.

{}

“I should probably apologize for how I acted back there.”

“Clair,” Saylee said, surprised to see the Dragonlady waiting for her halfway down the passageway. “I don’t really want to talk to you right now…”

“Because Haralda killed your Nidoking?” Clair asked, following Saylee as she tried to walk past the Dragonlady. “I warned you beforehand that that could happen. Your Nidoking seemed ready enough to risk his life for your Dragonair’s sake. That’s respectable.”

“That doesn’t bring him back.” _I should’ve made Nider switch out with Gabriel. That Hydro Pump wouldn’t have bothered him. I was just too stupid, too scared, too afraid for a Gyarados in a volcano_ … “Nider made his own choice. I know that. Still, I’m his trainer… it’s my job to point him right, and I-I failed him…” she walked a little faster, determined not to let Clair see her cry. She wouldn’t give her that.

“What a snivelling…” Clair shook her head. “Is _that_ it? Is that what you have that I don’t? I’ve worked _so long_ to be knighted…”

“You watch it, you fuckin’ brounfluff,” Mary snapped, sparking angrily. “Wan mair word outae yous…”

“Saylee deserves to be a knight,” Tobias said loftily. “ _You_ , on the other hand…”

“It’s a great honour,” Saylee said. “I guess… I don’t know. It just feels like words…”

“Yes, it means nothing to you, doesn’t it?” Clair said bitterly, striding forwards to stand in Saylee’s path. “Did you know that Lance was knight at fourteen? _Fourteen_? He’s always been so powerful, and I… I’ve _never_ been good enough…” Saylee had to stop. She couldn’t get past Clair without physically pushing aside, and she didn’t want to start another fight. She was also surprised by Clair’s expression. Her pride had cracked, and she looked _lost_.

“I heard that you were betrothed,” Saylee had to ask. Clair nodded.

“When we were children,” Clair said wistfully. “I can’t really remember a time before I knew that I was going to marry Lance when we grew up, or a time that I didn’t want to. He’s always… had a particular charisma, with humans and dragons both. Even when he disappeared… others gave him up for dead, but not me. I _knew_ he was alive. He’s always come back from the worst of fights. And I’ve trained _so hard_ to be good enough for him…”

“Well, congrats, you’re as willing to kill as he is, well done,” Saylee snapped. “Most impressive thing _I’ve_ seen him do is drag himself here alive after being caught in that explosion…”

“He nearly did die,” Clair growled. “He thought he was going to, that was why he got Aaron to fly him back here first… but I didn’t let him,” she added firmly. “I wasn’t about to let him die when he’d just come _back_ …”

“Yes, it’s terrible when you lose someone you care about,” Saylee said, shouldering past Clair. Clair bristled, reaching out to grab Saylee’s shoulder, but stepped back when Mary sent a warning crackle of static at her.

“Don’t start on that again,” Clair snapped instead. “I did warn you, and anyway, he died a death to be proud of. Everybody dies. There are worse ways to go.”

“I know,” Saylee said. “I’m sure if I’d asked long ago, Nider would’ve thought that falling into a pit of lava while fighting a dragon was pretty cool. He could well be proud of dying to lay Diana to rest. That’ll still never change the fact that he _is_ dead and I miss him.” _Twenty-four. From Wilma to Nider._

Tobias flew into her arms, hugging her. Saylee hugged him back and sharply picked up her pace. This time, Clair didn’t try to catch up with her.


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 21 
> 
> Deaths: 4

“You’re kidding. You’re messing with me. You have to be.”

Saylee shook her head, staring somewhat dazedly at the beautiful cloth. The others had let her sleep in that morning, giving her some time alone with her Pokémon to mourn, but Nicole had come knocking on her door just before noon to report that a package had been sent down to her by Master Ryujin himself. It had simply contained a silver-blue cloak and a blue-and-gold pin depicting a golden Dragonite with sapphire Dratini and Dragonair circling it, each others’ tails in their mouths.

“The colour’s lovely,” Saylee said, lifting up the fine cloth. It wasn’t very thin, but it wasn’t heavy either. It seemed like it would be warm or cool as needed. “I don’t know if I could wear a cloak every day, though.”

“You have to wear the pin, though!” Nicole said excitedly. “The dragon clan may not really rule the country like we used to, but that pin will still open all sorts of doors…”

“Grandad has a pin like this!” Lucy exclaimed, reaching to take the pin out of Saylee’s lap but snatching her hand away at the last second. “ _Sar_ Saylee… just like Grandad! Well, he’s _Sir_ and you’re _Sar_ , but the only difference is a vowel and pant stuffing. You’re _amazing_!”

“These guys are pretty strong,” muttered Silver, who’d spent an interesting couple of hours battling a couple of Blackthorn children who’d already managed to befriend Dratini. “I guess since you beat them… you’re not just not weak.”

“I hope you know that from your mouth, that means the world to me,” Saylee said, wrapping the cloak round herself. “Mmm… warm as it looks. I’m starting to see why everyone goes for these up here.”

“So are you all going to stay here and train?” Nicole asked Lucy. Lucy shook her head.

“I told mum and dad we’d only be here a couple of days,” she said. “I’ll be back in a couple months, though!”

“Nobody here knows anything about your brother, anyway,” Silver added. Nicole and Lucy had gone asking around while Saylee was in the shrine, but nobody remembered Red. Outsiders were uncommon in Blackthorn; if he’d ever been here, somebody would have remembered. Saylee had stopped to ask some of the senior dragon trainers on the way out of Clair’s hall, but while there had been an occasional trickle of outside trainers over the past two years, none had been Red.

“Your brother too,” Saylee said softly. She wanted to scream. _Where the hell is he?! Nobody’s seen him in Kanto for years, nobody’s seen him in Johto ever… where the hell could he_ go?!

She nearly jumped out of her skin as her phone rang, knocked sharply out of her thoughts.

{}

“Good to see you again, Saylee!” Morty called, standing up and waving to Saylee as she stormed up the path to Ecruteak with Chip and Tobias. He and Eusine had been sitting by the path, waiting for them.

“You knew I was coming,” Saylee sighed. “How are you two?”

“All the better for seeing a national hero!” Eusine said, kissing her hand. His grin widened when he saw her pin. “You know, Sar, I am not the least bit surprised. Morty!” He spun and grabbed his boyfriend’s shoulders. “Why _didn’t_ you tell me?!”

“I wasn’t looking,” Morty said, giving him a hug. “I was busy helping _somebody_ locate Suicune…”

“Who has gone east!” Eusine sobbed. “Too far east for me to reach her until the Magnet Train is completed! Ahh, I hope it is soon; ships are far too slow to pursue something so fleet of foot as Suicune…”

“We haven’t been seein’ any of them in a while either, have we?” Chip said, glancing at Saylee and Tobias.

“We saw one of them the other night, but they have been turning up less,” Saylee said uncomfortably. _They were hovering around Silver all winter, even if I rarely saw more than something vanishing into the bushes and Silver looking irritated… have they all gone east? To Kanto?_

“Something is about to happen,” Morty said gravely. “Even with Team Rocket all locked up… something else is rising. The weather has been odd, and the geisha have been holed up in their hall for two weeks now, performing rituals. They don’t even send the little apprentices out on errands anymore. They hire local girls to run messages—”

“Really?” Saylee interjected. “But I saw one in Blackthorn a few days ago. She invited me to the dance hall… said they ought to celebrate my initiation into the Order of the Dragon.” She flicked the pin with a finger. “I wasn’t going to take them up on it, but then… well, things have changed.”

Eusine and Morty, an arm still around each other’s shoulders, glanced at each other. “Well… it is _quite_ an affair,” Eusine said, stepping forward and flourishing his cape.

“Yeah, they gave me a cape too,” Saylee laughed. “I’m afraid I don’t look quite as fabulous in it, though.”

“And we can say we knew you when,” Morty said with a smile. “Well… we might as well go to the dance hall. Quite impressive that they’re putting in so much work for your party… do you think we’re invited?”

“To be honest, with these women I’ve taken to assuming ulterior motives,” Saylee said, thinking of her visitor in the hospital and the woman who had free access to the Dragon Shrine. And then that call from Vera… “But still, I have something very important to ask them about.” She fidgeted nervously with the various pins affixed to her bag as they walked back into Ecruteak. “Morty… I never found him. Red I looked all winter. I looked _everywhere_. Are you… sure?”

“I still see snow in the east,” Morty said firmly. “I still see you and he, standing in snows to the east. It has not yet come to pass. The moment has not been missed.”

“But the snow’s melted…” Saylee looked back to the east, where the horizon was swallowed by hills and forests, the mountains of Mahogany and Blackthorn, and beyond them the icy peaks that formed an almost impassable barrier between Kanto and Johto. “Up in the mountains, it always snows, so do you think—?”

“Sar Kanto?”

Morty and Eusine both looked around and down. It took Saylee a moment to realize that that meant her. She looked down at a small girl, probably no more than seven, wearing a plain brown kimono. “That’s me,” she said.

“Are your sisters finally coming out of seclusion?” Eusine asked, staring at the little girl as if she were Suicune, popped out of the bushes. The little girl just bowed politely.

“They are waiting for you, Sar,” she said, taking Saylee’s hand and tugging it. “Please come with me!”

“One ought not to keep ladies waiting,” Eusine said, waving to Saylee. “Even if one is a lady oneself!”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Saylee said, returning Chip and Tobias and storming after the girl. “I’ve got _plenty_ to say to these women…”

{}

If nothing else, the geisha knew how to make an impression. Five of them were sitting on the dance stage as Saylee was ushered into the hall by the little girl. The hall was otherwise empty, although they had clearly redecorated; painted scrolls, pressed behind glass, covered the walls. Saylee looked along them as she walked up to the dance stage. The largest one on Saylee’s right particularly drew her eye. A silver creature flew behind a storm, from which lightning bolts arced towards a burning town. Next to the town were three ghosts, one red, one blue and one yellow, and next to the ghosts was a ball of rainbow fire. On the other side of the fire were three creatures that, judging by the colours, were Suicune, Entei and Raikou. The three ran away in different directions, then the silver one reappeared, diving under the sea, while above it the rainbow one flew into the sun.

“I read up on this story,” Saylee said. “The Burned Tower. Burned down in Lugia’s rage, but miraculously only killing three. Resurrected as Suicune, Entei and Raikou. Also starring…” she nodded to two other scrolls, depicting the silver and rainbow birds in greater detail. “Ho-oh and Lugia. Over here…” the scrolls on the left were more varied and didn’t all seem to be made out of the same kind of paper. Green figures danced in a forest, a red titan battled a blue one on lava and sea while a green dragon flew overhead, various figures danced in triangles… “I don’t know these.”

“You only researched the legends of Johto. But there is much more to this world.” The women were all dressed identically: red-and-gold kimono, shiny black hair twisted and piled high with many wavy blue and silver ornaments, makeup thick and precise as a mask. They had even _spoken_ in unison. The only difference between the five of them was their obi—blue, red, yellow, pink black. The overall effect was unsettling, like walking into Lily’s mirror room with something just a little _off_ about each reflection and no way to tell which, if any, was real. _Though that’s probably the point._

“We’re glad that you accepted our invitation,” the one in the black obi said. Saylee was glad that only one had spoken this time. _Are the colours a mark of rank? That selection of colours seems familiar…_ “We have much to discuss, Sar Kanto.”

“Oh, don’t I know it,” Saylee asked, stopping in front of the stage. It was high enough that even though she was standing and the geisha sitting on their knees, their eyeline was above hers. It made her uncomfortable. “What shall we talk about first? The part where Ethan Goldberg went missing around the time you…” she nodded to the woman in the yellow obi, though she couldn’t be certain it was the same woman, “…invited me here? Is this to do with what you told me in the hospital? Avatars? My ‘duty’?”

“Your choice,” the pink one said, “should you choose to accept it.”

“The Tidal Bell has begun to ring,” the blue one said, as if this was supposed to mean something to Saylee. “The time has come. Lugia’s time.  Time for the first avatar to come to be. The avatar must be seen safely to Lugia’s presence.”

“Where’s Ethan?” Saylee demanded. “You know, don’t you?”

“First,” the black one said, standing elegantly and raising a hand, “dance with us. We have not yet had the honour of dancing with you, Sar.”

“Just to clarify,” Saylee said, walking up the steps to the stage, “by ‘dance’, you mean fight, right?”

“Of course,” she said, flicking her wrist to produce an unmarked apricorn ball from her sleeve.

“Oh, okay then,” Saylee said, standing across the dance floor from her, with the other four sitting at the back of the stage, precisely between the two battlers, watching. “Bring it on.” _I trust in the power of my Pokémon. This will still go faster than trying to convince the police that they won’t bring hellfire down on themselves for interrogating geisha_.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” the woman in the black obi said, bowing politely. “My name is Zuki. The fairy-chaser of Violet City, if you will recall. The Guide must be someone with the right bond with Pokémon. To that end, Sir Geoffrey has spent some years travelling in search of such a person. He alerted us to the existence of a Togepi egg in the hands of a girl—you. You have cared well for Tobias. However, being pure alone will not be sufficient to face the power of the gods. I must test you. Umbra!” She clicked open the apricorn ball, and an Umbreon appeared.

“I saw you dancing with Eeveelutions at the Langnight bonfire… ah,” Saylee said, looking around at the other geisha. “I see.”

“I find joy in dancing in the moonlight,” Umbra said smoothly, her eyes glowing red.

“This is a test of Sar Saylee and her Pokémon,” Zuki explained.

“Really? Then where is my foe?” Umbra demanded, looking sharply at Saylee.

“Right here,” Saylee said, releasing Chip. He and Umbra squared off across the stage.

“Are you ready?” Zuki asked, drawing a fan out of her sleeve.

“Let’s be gettin’ on,” Chip said impatiently.

Saylee nodded. “Rock Smash!” she ordered.

“Dark Pulse!” Zuki commanded at the same moment, flicking her fan out at Chip.

Chip smashed his fists into Umbra with enough force to crack boulders, and she howled in pain, but the howl had unsettling harmonics, and Chip was suddenly blasted back by a pulse of black light.

“That be makin’… me brain buzz,” Chip muttered, shaking his head and pawing at his forehead.

“You hurt Umbra worse,” Saylee said, watching the Umbreon struggle to her feet, “and you’re faster. Smash her again!”

“Dark pulse again!” Zuki ordered. Umbra’s eyes and markings glowed black, but Chip struck before she could unleash the dark power. Umbra howled as she fell again. This time, she neither released her dark pulse nor tried to get up again.

“Good job, Chip!” Saylee said, hugging the tired-looking fire-type. “Have a rest.” She returned him and then walked back to the far end of the stage.

Zuki crouched next to Umbra, stroking her ears and murmuring, before returning her too. She stood up and smiled at Saylee. “For an opponent to survive Umbra’s Dark Pulse is extremely rare,” she said, tucking the apricorn ball away in her sleeve. “You have strength.” She bowed her head to Saylee and sat down. The one in the pink obi stood up and walked to face Saylee.

“My name is Naoko,” she said, bowing to Saylee. “I was the one who prayed in Ilex Forest, and I witnessed your rescue of the Slowpoke from Team Rocket. This is Ella.” She released a pink Pokémon with a split tail and a red jewel in her forehead—Espeon.

“My sister Umbra may like to dance in the moonlight, but I myself far prefer the light of the sun,” she said. Her jewel glowed briefly. “I see. A battle. Allow me to challenge you and your Pokémon of choice!”

“I choose Tobias!” Saylee said, releasing the Togetic. “Shadow Ball!” _Saw me rescue the Slowpoke, but didn’t help, hmm?_

“Psychic!” Naoko commanded. Ella’s jewel glowed again as she focused her gaze on Tobias. Tobias was wrapped in a pink glow. He winced as Ella’s psychic power wracked him, but it wasn’t too effective, and he was able to withstand it long enough to roll a ball of shadows between his paws and fling it at Ella. She was knocked off of her paws and lay on the ground, shivering as she suffered from the shadow power. Naoko returned her.

“I did it!” Tobias cheered happily. “Her psychic powers were _strong_ , though.”

“You’re stronger,” Saylee said, hugging him.

“It was not merely strength,” Naoko said. “You selected an opponent for Ella who could comprehend and withstand her psychic power. You have wits.” She bowed to Saylee and sat down again. Saylee gave Tobias another hug and returned him as the woman in the red sash stood. Saylee could guess what was coming next and glanced back across the hall, trying to assess if it was big enough.

“I am Miki,” the woman said softly, bowing. “You are quite the trainer. I remember you chasing off that Team Rocket Grunt from right here. I must thank you for that.” She bowed again. “Although, I am actually a trainer myself. Might I introduce you to Freya?” She released, as Saylee had expected, a fluffy red Flareon. Freya was noticeably larger than Flo, however, and her fur was a deeper shade of red.

Saylee had never seen Espeon or Umbreon up close before Ella and Umbra— _Red had an Espeon, but he disappeared before he could bring Eric home to see us_ —but Freya was visible proof that the Geisha were _far_ stronger than they looked. _So why couldn’t you defend yourself here?_

“Are you ready to do battle, Freya?” Miki asked.

“Wholeheartedly,” Freya said, delicately blowing little fireball into the air.

 _Bring it on_ , Saylee thought, releasing Gabriel.

The huge red Gyarados roared as he thumped his head on the ceiling beam. When he ducked his head, Saylee gently stroked his crest and made soothing noises. Freya darted towards Gabriel in a quick attack, but Gabriel didn’t even noticed, her attacks doing less to him than the thump he gave his own head. “Owww… hurts…”

“It’s okay, Gabriel,” Saylee said softly. “Listen, do you see the little hot Pokémon?” She pointed at Freya, and Gabriel looked around to see her now trying to blow fire at him. “Do you want to fight her?”

“Annoying,” Gabriel rumbled. “She’s _annoying_ … go _away_!” He easily swept Freya aside with a pulse of water, then began to happily splash his tail in the resulting pool of water on the floor, thump to the head forgotten.

“Very well done, Gabriel,” Saylee said, kissing his crest and returning him. Freya was lying unconscious in a pool of steam.

Naoko returned Freya. “You care greatly for that poor creature,” she said softly, nodding at Gabriel’s pokéball. “When we met here before, you drove away a Rocket who was harassing me. You allow your own desires to be set aside in order to bring the wicked to justice. You are righteous.” She bowed again and returned to her seat.

“Then it is my turn,” said the fourth woman, the one in the yellow sash. She bowed to Saylee and walked across the now rather damp stage. “I am Sayo, visitor to Blackthorn City. It is my hometown, you see, but I chose the Way of the Geisha over the Order of the Dragon at a young age. Since that time, Jenna has been my closest companion.” She released a Jolteon. Jenna was of a size with Elric, or at least how big he’d been the last time that Saylee had seen him, but the spikes of her fur were less wild. “Jenna, we must assess this young woman.”

“Of course,” Jenna said, her spikes rising up to make her appear larger.

“You’ll face Georgia,” Saylee decided easily, releasing the four-armed Golem. Saylee knew well that Jolteon commanded no powers that a Golem would even notice, let alone be damaged by. “Tell me, how strong is this building?”

“This okiya is over two thousand years old and would be difficult to fell,” Sayo said, reading Saylee’s intent clearly. “We must not back down. Jenna, Pin Missile!”

“That meant t’be an attack, is it, moy love?” Georgia said, nonplussed, as the needles bounced harmlessly off of her shell.

“Why don’t you show them what an attack looks like, Georgia?” Saylee said. “Earthquake!”

Georgia slammed all four hands into the ground. The earthquake shook the entire building—Saylee could hear small girls yelling upstairs, although since one was distinctly shouting “COOL!” she wasn’t too worried—but the worst of it was localized around Jenna, who was slammed repeatedly into the floor until Sayo returned her.

“Your Pokémon and yourself have overcome much together,” she said. “Disabilities, grief and loss… you have perseverance.” She bowed and returned to her seat, leaving only the woman with the blue sash.

“I am Kuni,” she said, rising and bowing gracefully. “It was I who tracked the silver feather to Goldenrod, deep underground. May I introduce you to my dear friend Vala? I’m sure you already know that she’s a Vaporeon.”

That she was; Saylee recognized her from Bill’s pictures and the Vaporeon she’d seen at the Langnight dance. Vala was beautiful, a gentle blue colour with a gently rippling white crest ringing her face and a long, elegant fishtail. She stepped into the puddle left by Gabriel and vanished.

“Vaporeon can become as water,” Kuni said. “You have one champion left to you, Saylee. What have you that can defeat water?”

“I have Mary left to me,” Saylee said, releasing her Ampharos, “and I don’t know about water, but I know she can defeat Vala just fine! Discharge!”

“Aight then!” Mary’s whole body crackled as she sent a wave of electricity sparking through the pool. Vala yelped and leapt out of the puddle, physical again in time to get a solid thunderpunch to the jaw.

“You were not deceived by the illusion,” Kuni said, returning Vala. “You have clarity.” She bowed and stepped back to her seat.

“You have defeated us,” the women said in creepy unison. “You have strength, wits, perseverance and clarity. You are righteous and capable. You are most suitable to guard the avatars, to return the silver feather to Lugia.”

“Ooft, that’s proper creepy,” Mary muttered.

“I like to think that they rehearse this stuff,” Saylee murmured, digging down into her bag. “By silver feather, do you mean this?” She untied part of her dreamcatcher and produced the translucent, shining feather that Ethan had given her.

“Indeed,” Kuni said. “It is the sign that Lugia is prepared to become one with his chosen avatar. According to Morty’s visions, both Lugia and Ho-oh will lay feathers at the feet of their chosen avatars.”

“Tell us, Saylee,” Naoko said, “is it at _your_ feet that the feather fell?”

“No, I was given it,” Saylee said slowly, twirling the feather in her fingers. “By a _child_. By a _ten-year-old boy_. A ten-year-old boy that I am going to take home right now. That’s why I’m here to tell you no.”

“Indeed?” Zuki said, arching a heavily-pencilled eyebrow.

“I don’t completely know what you mean by humans merging with gods,” Saylee said, “but I’ve seen a human and a Pokémon become one before. Don’t tell me you don’t know what happened to Bill.”

“That was different,” Miki said softly. “That was a broken machine, a flawed human artifice, not godly power. A Clefairy is fey, no doubt an important factor in Bill’s survival, but a fairy is not a god. Lugia will not harm him.”

“How do you know?” Saylee shot back. “You said that this is the first time this has been known to happen. _How do you know that it won’t hurt him_?”

“Lugia would be foolish to harm an avatar that he hopes to live within,” Satsuki insisted.

“I’m sure, but you’re talking about the powers of a storm god, a creature that can call up storms terrible enough to burn or flood entire towns without even _thinking_ about it, and putting that into the body of a _child_ ,” Saylee snarled. “You can’t tell me that will have no effect on him!”

“We cannot promise that he will be unaffected,” Zuki said. “We would be foolish to say so and you would be stupid to believe it, but we do not believe that he will be seriously or permanently harmed.”

“Not good enough!” Saylee shouted.

“ _It will have to be_!” Sayo responded sharply. “His young age is regrettable, but nevertheless he has been chosen! Lugia calls the boy to him now, and to test Lugia’s temper is unwise! Indeed, Ethan Goldberg’s kind and happy nature may be the perfect antidote to Lugia’s tempestuous one…”

“You have seen the Burned Tower,” Naoko said. “Know that it burned three thousand years ago, when Lugia flew into a mighty rage the likes of which has not been seen before or since. Lugia called down lightning to strike the tower and set it ablaze, and then he turned the fire upon the whole of Ecruteak. Everything was razed to the ground. The okiya that stood before this one, and had stood for nineteen hundred years, was reduced to ash. Homes, schools, shops and temples… all destroyed. Nothing was spared but the Bell Tower, preserve of Ho-oh… yet only three lives were lost.”

“Three Eevee burned,” Miki said. “Ho-oh, in its mighty benevolence, resurrected them as they had dreamed of becoming, with power beyond imagination.”

“Suicune, Entei and Raikou,” Saylee said. “I heard the myth that they’re a superpowered Vaporeon, Flareon and Jolteon.”

“No myth,” Sayo said. “History. That is why Eevee and its evolutions are sacred to our order.”

“And why you must understand that, if Lugia has decided that it is time, we must act soon,” Zuki said. “Spring is here, a time for beginnings, and Lugia grows restless at his chosen avatar’s failure to go to him. The closest victims to the path of his rage are Cianwood and Olivine…”

“Maw,” Mary said, sparking in panic. “Lee… we cannae let Lugia lose it… them cities, aw they folk livin’ in ‘em…”

“It’s been three months since Ethan found the feather,” Saylee said. “How long do you mean by “soon”? Lugia’s thousands of years old, a few years would be nothing to him—”

“Sisters!” A door at the end of the stage clattered open and a little girl ran in. “Sisters! Another tidal wave has hit Cianwood! The pharmacy has been washed away!”

“There’s more whirlpools too!” A slightly older girl added. “Bigger ones! Even in the safe waters that boats could sail in before!”

“This is what we mean by soon, Sar Kanto,” Miki said coldly. “We have waited long enough. Thank you, little ones. Is everyone alright?” The girls nodded. “You may go. All of you, go to the safe rooms.” The girls nodded and ran off.

The five geisha stood up. “We cannot say for sure what it will do to Ethan,” Sayo said. “The predictions speak of great power and ancient knowledge. Nothing else.”

“Lugia will do all he can to ensure Ethan’s safety during avatarization,” Naoko said softly. “But reaching Lugia will be treacherous. Which is where you come in…”

Saylee took off her glasses and cleaned them on the ends of her scarf, struggling to figure out what was the right thing to do. Her nose was full of the stench of blood and the memory of Clefairy-Bill’s whimpers of agony, but… _Lugia’s rage is putting lives at risk already… he’s just a **child** …_

“Sar Kanto,” Zuki said softly, “Ethan Goldberg has already made his choice. We have not kidnapped him. We told him of his destiny and gave him the Tidal Bell, and he left of his own accord.”

“You asked where Ethan is now,” Sayo added. “My expectation would be that around now, he would have already arrived in Olivine…”

Saylee immediately turned and ran out of the door. She didn’t know what she would do when she got to Olivine, but… _I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Right now, I have to find Ethan…_


	52. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 21 
> 
> Deaths: 4

When Saylee stepped off of the teleporter, she could hear the wind and rain rattling the windows of the travel centre. Looking out, she could see grey skies and pouring rain.

“Do you have a raincoat, ma’am?” the greeter behind the desk said, pulling out a rolled-up bundle of blue plastic. She was a young woman with frizzy red hair tied into a bun and an e-reader sitting on the counter in front of her; evidently it was a slow travel day in Olivine. “Normally we sell them, but I honestly don’t feel that I could send you out in this in good conscience without one.”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, unrolling the coat and wrapping herself up in it. Despite how thin it looked, it was warm and soft inside. She tied up the hood around her face. “Has a little boy come through here? About ten years old, with black hair and an Azumarill?”

“Oh yes, I remember him!” the woman said, nodding and glancing out of the window. “I remember him well. He got here during the only lull we’ve had in this weather for… ceez, it feels like weeks now!” she laughed. “It cleared up and was even sunny for a few minutes…” she sighed, staring out at the driving rain. “He was ringing a little toy bell. It was very cute.”

 _Did the Tidal Bell make the rain stop?_ “Where did he go?” Saylee asked.

“I don’t know,” the woman replied, shrugging. “I told him not to go towards the beach, since the waves have been really bad. We’ve even had a couple of tidal strikes that’ve smashed up the harbour…”

“Did you point which way the beach was?” Saylee asked, trying not to panic.

“Well, of course,” the woman said, pointing down the road south. “He didn’t know which way it was. Couldn’t risk him going that way by accident, could we?”

“Thanks for your help,” Saylee said, running out into the rain.

The peak in her hood normally would have protected her face from the rain, but the wind was so strong that the freezing rain flew at her horizontally, striking her in the face and quickly numbing it. Her feet and ankles were freezing and wet within minutes too, but the rest of her, under the coat, was comfortable and warm.

She heard the waves before she saw them. Even over the pounding rain, the roar of the angry sea reached her two blocks before she started to see the damage.

Buildings in Olivine were built to withstand the sea, but even so several had been smashed, mainly with boats and ships that had been flung into them by the raging waves. _The girl said there’d been another tidal wave…_ Saylee stared in horror at the fifteen-foot waves that raged against the torn and twisted docks. _Is this because of Lugia_?

“ETHAN!” she called, running along the docks. _“ETHAN!”_ She looked around desperately, but there was nobody to ask. Most people weren’t dumb enough to hang around the docks in this weather. She ducked with a screech as a wave crashed against the docks near her feet, spraying her with freezing cold water.

With her bag pressed against her side by her raincoat, she could feel something in a side pocket shaking and growing warm. Saylee tucked her arms inside of her coat and opened the pocket, feeling for the warm object, no, _two_ warm objects—one hard, one soft. She pulled them out and peered at them as the rain softened abruptly, though the waves remained rough.

Diana’s pearl was glowing and felt warm in Saylee’s hands. Holding it, Saylee felt warmth spreading from the pearl, warming her from the inside out. She closed her eyes and pressed it to her forehead. _Diana… thank you…_

After a moment, she opened her eyes again and looked at the other object more closely. It was the silver feather that Ethan had found in Goldenrod and given to her. _Lugia’s feather._ It was glowing as well, and tugging slightly in her fingers. Saylee stood up and held it lightly, allowing it to drag her hand.

It tugged her, gently but insistently, towards the sea.

Saylee released Gabriel and Tobias. Gabriel roared as the waves crashed against him, though he looked happy. If anyone was comfortable in stormy seas, it was a Gyarados. Tobias looked out nervously at the sea.

“A woman saw Ethan run through with the Tidal Bell,” Saylee explained quickly. “Gabriel! Can I get onto your back?” Gabriel obligingly lowered his head for Saylee to climb on. “Apparently, it calmed the weather down. It might even have calmed the sea, which could mean that…”

“He’s out there,” Tobias said with a nod. “I just… I have a feeling that there’s a child in danger out there,” he said to Saylee’s questioning look. “I got the same feeling when Silver was in the Lake of Rage. I just didn’t quite realize what it was.”

“Ethan did say that Togetic were said to protect children,” Saylee said, patting Gabriel’s crest. She held out the silver feather. “Go on, Gabriel. Out to sea.”

“Yay!” Gabriel said happily, flicking his powerful tail and propelling them out into the raging waters. Tobias sat in Saylee’s lap, clinging to Diana’s pearl while Saylee navigated by feather.

{}

“Ethan? _ETHAN!”_

“Lyra?” Saylee faintly heard Ethan’s voice over the wind and directed Gabriel towards it, even though the silver feather was pulling her in a slightly different direction. Ethan was off-course. “Marina, did you hear Lyra?”

“Ethan!” Saylee called again as the waves calmed abruptly, and they burst into a pool of sunlight. In the dead centre of it was Ethan, clinging to Marina with the Tidal Bell tied to the back of his hat, constantly jingling. Besides the hat, he was wearing a swimming jumper and trunks, and Saylee would have worried that he was freezing if the circle of light hadn’t been inexplicably warm. “Gabriel, head down so we can get Ethan and Marina, please.”

“Okay,” Gabriel rumbled, lowering his head towards the pair in the water. They shied away nervously until Saylee reached out her hand to pull them onto Gabriel’s back.

“Ethan, what are you _doing_ here?!” she demanded as Gabriel’s head rose up again. “Your parents are frantic!”

“Well, I couldn’t _tell_ them I was coming _here_ , could I?” Ethan said, rolling his eyes. “They wouldn’t let me.”

“Daman straight they wouldn’t,” Saylee said, looking around. “Without the Tidal Bell, you’d be dead in this weather!”

“Good thing I got the Tidal Bell, huh?” Ethan said, nodding his head. The bell didn’t so much ring as create a sort of softness in the air. “Anyway, people nearly _did_ get dead in this weather. You saw the buildings on the docks, right?”

“You can’t stop Ethan from going,” Marina said firmly. “He’s been chosen. He has to go _now_. Actually, he should’ve gone _months_ ago. Why didn’t you tell us? The geisha said you _knew_.”

“Because you are _ten years old,_ Ethan,” Saylee said.

“Nearly eleven,” Ethan interjected.

“Still ten,” Saylee shot back. “This is dangerous and a huge responsibility. You’re too young for this!”

“Lugia doesn’t think so!” Ethan argued. “Anyway, what else are we gonna do? Lugia’s pissed off and I have to go stop him!” He waved his hand at the sea around them, which was raging outside of the twenty-foot circle around them. “…It’s a little scary, but what else are we gonna do, huh?”

“Ethan…” Saylee began. Ethan scowled, clearly seeing an attempt to drag him home on the horizon.

“We’ll jump off and swim there without you,” he declared. “I’m not a _baby_. It’s a little scary, yeah, ‘cause it’s a big responsibility, but I can do it! They said I wouldn’t be hurt, anyway, and…”

“Ethan,” Saylee interrupted him. “You’re going the wrong way.” She held up the feather. “Remember this? It’s been leading me to the Whirl Islands. You’re off-course. I don’t agree with this, but…” she sighed. “I don’t have the right to make your choices for you. So I’m coming with you to make _damn_ sure you’re safe, got it?”

Ethan grinned brightly. At that moment, a wave suddenly rose out of the still water. It dropped delicately onto Gabriel’s head and became a Vaporeon. “… _Vala_?” Saylee said in surprise, recognizing the geisha Vaporeon that she’d battled only that morning.

“My lady Kuni sent me here as soon as I was healed,” Vala said smoothly. “I can move near-instantaneously through any body of water…”

“Because you can turn into water, yeah,” Saylee said, nodding. “Have you been guiding Ethan?”

“Attempting to, but the underwater currents have altered somewhat in Lugia’s irritation,” Vala sighed. “Still, we had faith that you would arrive with the Silver Wing.”

Saylee looked out at the storm. “ _This_ is _irritation_?”

“You do not wish to see anger,” Vala said darkly. “Shall we move on?”

Saylee held out the feather. “Go on then, Gabriel,” she sighed. Tobias hugged her.

“It’ll be okay,” he promised. “He doesn’t feel like he’s in danger now that _we’re_ here.”

{}

For a while, Ethan sat quietly between Saylee and Marina, hugging his Azumarill, lost in thought. Eventually, he looked around at Saylee. “Why _me_ , d’you think?” he asked. “Why not someone awesome like you, or Falkner? You’re grown-ups and great trainers and stuff… why a kid like me?”

“The geisha told me that Lugia left Johto about eleven years ago,” Saylee told him. “Maybe you had timing and got born on the very day it was flying overhead. Maybe it thinks you’re going to _be_ awesome when you grow up. Maybe it likes how close you and Marina are.”

“You _are_ going to be awesome, Ethan,” Marina insisted. “At least, you are with _me_ looking after you!”

“I thought the whole point of being a Pokémon trainer was for _me_ to train _you,_ ” Ethan complained. Saylee smiled at his petulant tone, suddenly reminded of when she met Wendy.

_“We have a personal assistant? How very nice.”_

“Maybe I’ll be a human trainer instead, then,” Marina declared. “After all, I’m an Azumarill now. I’m an _adult_ , unlike you.”

“You’re five years younger than me!” Ethan protested.

“Not my fault you humans grow up so slow,” Marina shot back. “Maybe if I trained you a little, you’d be an adult by now!”

“Humans don’t work that way, Marina,” Saylee laughed.

“Sar Kanto, we are approaching the isles,” Vala called.

“Already?” Saylee said, looking up at the haphazard collection of boulders jutting out of the waves. “That was fast!”

Gabriel roared happily when she patted his crest. “I swim fast!” he declared proudly.

“You do indeed,” Saylee praised him. “Now, how do we get into the caves?”

“A whirlpool,” Vala said, swimming around and climbing up Gabriel’s back.

Tobias clung to Saylee’s shoulder. “Did she say _whirlpool_?” he squeaked.

“I really hope she didn’t,” Saylee said, staring at Vala and shaking the Tidal Bell pointedly. “Anyway, I thought the waters were going to calm for us?”

“They are,” Vala said placidly. “The whirlpool won’t rip us apart. It will carry us to Lord Lugia instead.”

“Lord Lugia, Lord Lugia,” Gabriel hummed. “In there?”

Saylee could see the nearest whirlpool now, a great, churning sink of water. She frantically rang the Tidal Bell and a strange sound, half-wail and half-song, floated out of the water.

“He’s down there,” Ethan mumbled, staring into the water. His eyes were shining silver again.

Saylee put one arm around his shoulders and handed the Tidal Bell to Tobias. “Keep ringing that,” she ordered, scooping him under her other arm and clinging tightly to Gabriel’s scales. “Everyone hang on _very_ tightly,” she ordered, “and _do not let go_.”

“This looks scary!” Tobias said, ringing the Tidal Bell.

“This looks fun!” Marina cheered, clinging to Ethan.

“In we must go!” Vala called.

“In!” Gabriel roared, rearing up into the sky and then diving straight into the centre of the whirlpool.

{}

“Mary! Chip! Light, please!”

“Sure, sure…”

“Where the bloody hell are we?!”

In the flickering light from Chip’s fire mane and the glow of Mary’s tail, the cavern slowly came into view. Saylee wasn’t sure how they’d wound up in a cave, but they were sitting on an island, surrounded by swirling whirlpools.  She returned Gabriel, who was lying half in the water and was in danger of being swept away again, and released Georgia.

“Oooh, we’re proper deep down, we are,” the Golem said, looking around at the vast cavern. Stalagmites rose from the water and disappeared upwards into the gloom, while water occasionally dripped down from stalactites that ended too far up to see.

“This they Whirl Islands, then?” Mary said, glancing around. “Aight, then. Whit the noo?”

“Ring the Tidal Bell,” Vala ordered. Tobias handed the bell to Saylee, and she did so. Deep in the cave, something responded with a sing-song roar. They all drew together as the waters went wild, but then the waters calmed and parted as a footpath rose out of the depths.

“Keep ringing it,” Vala said, setting out onto the path. Mary and Tobias followed, then Saylee, Ethan and Marina, with Chip and Georgia as the rearguard.

“It’s starting to glow,” Ethan said, taking the silver feather out of his pocket where he’d stashed it for safekeeping when they reached the Whirl Islands and twirling it in his fingers. “Are… are we close?” He had been so excited before about meeting Lugia, but now he looked frightened.

Saylee squeezed his hand. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I promised to keep you safe, and I will. Do you want to go back?”

“No,” Ethan said, clinging tightly to her hand. “You’ll keep me safe. I’m not scared.”

Saylee dearly wished she could say the same. Only Lugia seemed to like the Tidal Bell’s chime. It was drawing in hungry, screeching Golbat, which Chip and Georgia drove off with fire and rocks while Mary and Tobias addressed the issue of the angry Krabby and Seel that had been left stranded on the path when it had risen from the water.

All the while, Saylee held tight onto Ethan’s hand with her left hand and rang the Tidal Bell with her right. Lugia sang back to it, leading them forwards.

Slowly, a rumble rose up that drowned out the churning roar of the whirlpools. Saylee thought she could faintly see something moving in the gloom ahead of them. There was a sense that there wasn’t much space left ahead; that something huge was looming…

Gradually, out of the darkness, the gigantic waterfall appeared.

Saylee craned her neck back, but she couldn’t see where it was falling from. Looking left and right, she couldn’t see the ends of it. It was as if someone had tipped the sea on its side, constantly falling into a huge, crashing line of white spray.

“In… in there!” Ethan shouted, pointing at the immense waterfall. Vala ran off ahead, darting towards the base of the waterfall.

“Where’s she gaun?” Mary shouted, running after her. Tobias buzzed off with her. Saylee glanced back at Chip and Georgia.

“Chip, Georgia, you two run on ahead,” she ordered. “Quickly. The water’s started to rise again at the other end of the path!”

Chip glanced back at the rising water, yelped, and shot forwards after Mary. Georgia followed suit as quickly as she could. Saylee hung back, ringing the Tidal Bell, until they were past.

“We’ll be fine,” Marina cheerfully insisted. “The water won’t fall on Ethan!”

“Let’s not hang around too long and test that,” Saylee said, tugging Ethan after her fleeing Pokémon and frantically ringing the Tidal Bell. There was a pink _flash_ ahead of them that briefly lit up the cave and left purple splotches in Saylee’s vision.

At the base of the waterfall, a roughly circular rock platform had risen out of the water. Salty water was pouring off of it as the platform and an attached staircase rose up. Saylee led Ethan carefully up it, wary of the slippery stone. The platform was flanked by two boulders the size of houses with huge brass bells tied to them.  Saylee figured that if she cut one of the bells in half she’d have a pair of bathtubs that a whole family could fit in.

Standing in a circle on top of the podium were the five senior geisha, all surrounding a last small rise of rock just big enough for one person to stand on. Vala was being praised by Kuni before being returned. Naoko returned Ella as well—she must have teleported them there, which wasn’t something that Saylee had thought Espeon capable of. Then all five women bowed their heads to Ethan.

“To take on a god of this might is no light undertaking, nor is it a game,” Zuki intoned solemnly. “Ethan Goldberg, you have been chosen. You have been chosen to wield powers of life, of the storm, of the sea. You have been chosen to be a leader, one day, of humans and Pokémon both, and to be a shining example to all. Will you do this with a good heart and an open mind?”

Ethan gripped Saylee’s hand nervously. Marina hugged him. “You can do it,” she promised.

“Tobias?” Saylee muttered, glancing at her Togetic.

He shook his head. “I just… don’t feel like he’s in danger,” he muttered, nonplussed. “There’s something back there, but… it wants to protect him. It really does. I don’t think he’s in danger…”

Saylee nodded, squeezing Ethan’s hand and then letting go. “Do you think you can do it, Ethan?” she asked him gently. “Do you _want_ to do it?”

“I… sure, I will,” Ethan said, nodding and stepping forwards.

“Then please take the Tidal Bell and stand in the centre,” Naoko said softly. “The rest of you, please stand back.”

Saylee handed the Tidal Bell to Ethan, then she and her Pokémon stepped back, right to the edge of the steps. Marina stood back with them while Ethan ascended to the podium in the middle.

“You’re lookin’ more froightened than Ethan is, moy love,” Georgia said quietly.

“They’ve sworn sideways that Lugia won’t harm Ethan, and Toby says he doesn’t feel in danger right now…” Saylee said, watching the geisha begin to walk around Ethan in a slow, ponderous circle, singing low. They raised their arms, turned, and began to dance, slowly and elegantly, singing all the while. It resembled their Langnicht dances. The echo of the cave turned their voices into unsettling wails. “Still, Lugia’s famously bad-tempered. Mary… might want to get ready to zap it, juuuuust in case.”

“You’re wantin’ t’be attackin’ a _god_?” Chip said in surprise.

“Is that even somethin’ ye can _dae_?” Mary asked.

“Supposedly not, but the legends also say that dragons can’t be killed,” Saylee said, watching the waterfall. “Just be ready.”

Ethan rang the Tidal Bell at Kuni’s prompting. When he did, the brass bells began to ring with heavy, resonating _clangs_ that seemed to shake the entire cave. The waters were going absolutely mental.

Behind the waterfall, something _roared_. A dark shadow moved behind the water.

“Hold up the feather!” Miki called. Ethan did so, even though he’d gone white at Lugia’s roar. With the feather shining in his hand, though, he calmed perceptibly, and even smiled as the waterfall burst apart.

Lugia appeared from the spray, roaring so loud that Saylee could _feel_ it. The geisha immediately bowed low to the floor, foreheads pressed to the damp stone.

“Ooft aye,” Mary muttered as they stared at the tremendous living legend. True to the paintings, Lugia looked halfway between a bird and a dragon, with broad and oddly square silver wings, hind paws on which to stand, and a long silver tail with blue spikes protruding from it. Lugia’s features were sharp and cruel, all large blue feathers around its angrily slanted eyes and fierce fangs, yet it bowed its head gently to look Ethan in the eyes. Its head was the size of a car.

 _Don’t let them intimidate you,_ Saylee thought. _Stare them down._ She glanced questioningly at Tobias, but he shook his head. Ethan was still in no danger.

Ethan stared back at Lugia, his gaze unwavering, and held up the feather with one hand while he rang the bell with the other. Lugia opened its mouth and wailed softly, but this time there were words to it.

 _“It is time. Are you ready_?”

“I am,” Ethan said. “Are you?”

“ _Heh_ …” Lugia closed its eyes and gently pressed its huge forehead against Ethan’s, before wrapping its broad silver wings around the boy. Then they began to glow bright silver.

Saylee grabbed Tobias when there was a sudden rush of wind, as if a tornado were focused on the embracing boy and Pokémon.

“Ethan’s okay!” Tobias called over the wind. “He’s okay, I’d know if he was hurt, he’s fine…”

The silver glow was shrinking, a ball of light growing smaller and smaller, down to the size of a boy, then down to the shape of a boy.

“Ethan!” Marina called, clinging to Saylee’s legs as her ears flapped wildly in the wind.

The glow and wind died down until Ethan was clearly visible, faintly veiled by a layer of silver light. Tobias suddenly gasped and flew towards Ethan, setting off warning bells in Saylee’s head. Then Ethan opened his eyes, which were glowing bright white, and started to cry. Tears poured down his cheeks, and the wail that emitted from his lips wasn’t remotely human. Ignoring the shouts of the geisha, Saylee and Marina ran up after Tobias.

“Ethan!” Saylee shouted, catching the boy in her arms as he fell to his knees. He was shivering, wrapping his arms around himself as he shook violently.

“Ethan!” Marina cried. “Ethan, say something!”

“It’s a lot,” Tobias said, hugging Ethan’s head and glowing himself. “A lot of power… and memory, a lot of memory, too much…”

Ethan’s eyes cleared a little, and he stared up at Saylee with a horrified expression.

“They made her… I don’t wanna… _No_ …” he whispered. Then his shoulders slumped and he went limp.

“ETHAN!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up killing my first encounter in the Whirl Islands, so officially I have nothing, though I did catch Lugia for gameplay purposes. Lugia doesn’t count in my catch statistics, but here’s its stats for anyone who cares:
> 
> Name: Ethan. Species: Lugia. Nature: Rash. Ability: Pressure. Location: Whirl Islands. Level: 45


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 21 
> 
> Deaths: 4

“If you even _suspected_ that this would happen to him and didn’t tell me, it will go very hard on you,” Saylee growled. Doctors and nurses were hurrying in and out of Ethan’s room with baffled looks. When Saylee had left, they’d been discussing the boy’s amazing tolerance for sedatives and whether or not it was safe to administer more. Tobias and Marina wouldn’t leave Ethan’s side.

“This is the first time that this has been known to happen,” Zuki said softly. She at least had the grace to look shamefaced. “How were we to know—”

“You bloody well know everything else!” Saylee shouted angrily.

“Please calm down, Sar,” Sayo said, brushing a loose strand of hair out of her eyes. “Ethan is not harmed, merely… overwhelmed. Lugia is immensely powerful and extremely old. There is no telling what drove him to leave Johto ten years ago, nor what drew him to return. We cannot know what vast quantity of knowledge and memories are seeping into his consciousness…”

“What about the ones that are making him cry and moan about shadows in his sleep?!” Saylee raged.

“We are sorry, but we swear to you that we meant no harm to Ethan and we _did not know_ ,” Naoko said firmly. “Lugia’s ancient home has been the Whirl Islands, and he has never been fond of humans, but only at the time of his return did it become a true hatred. What may have happened to it in foreign lands, we do not know and will not unless Ethan becomes ready and willing to tell us.”

“And how long will that take?!” Saylee demanded. “How long will he lie in that hospital bed?!”

“It will take him time to come to terms with and accept the power inside of him,” Zuki said softly. She was trying to be soothing, but it just made Saylee angrier, and no small part of the anger was directed at herself. “How long… perhaps Morty could say better than we. No doubt it depends some on the will of the individual…”

“Ho-oh is no doubt exerting some pressure on him, too,” Miki added. “Ho-oh and Lugia have always existed in a delicate balance. To maintain that balance, Ho-oh will no doubt choose to avatarize soon.”

“No,” Saylee said firmly. “I am not putting another _child_ through this. I’m _not_.”

“That is your choice,” Zuki said quietly, “but we are all committed to doing our duty. We do not wish for it to happen, but happen it must. We already know that you were not alone when the Beasts awakened… that the one whose presence brought life back to Suicune, Entei and Raikou was—”

“No,” Saylee said, going cold. “I am _not_ putting Silver through this. He’s just a kid!”

“So is Ethan, and yet you brought him as we requested,” Kuni said.

“Because, due to some temporary bout of insanity, I _believed_ you when you said he wouldn’t be hurt!” Saylee shouted.

“Can you ladies take it outside, please?” One doctor said, butting into their argument with crossed arms and an irritated expression. “The little boy’s finally coming to a peaceful sleep, and we do _not_ need you waking him.” She pointed towards the stairs. Saylee turned and stalked down them, the geisha fluttering after her. Their silver kimono were stained to the point of ruination by seawater and algae and much of their makeup had sloughed off, but they still held themselves and moved as gracefully as if they were in a dance hall. Saylee rounded on them the moment they were all outside again. Sayo held up a hand to stay further shouting.

“Despite the Beasts’ reawakening, none of this is relevant until Ho-oh delivers a feather to your half-brother,” she said smoothly. “As you once pointed out yourself, we are speaking of creatures whose memories stretch back thousands, perhaps millions of years. Lugia may have decided to avatarize the instant he returned to Johto, but it took him a long time to call upon his avatar and several months more before he began to grow impatient. Ho-oh is a far more patient and even-tempered creature than Lugia. It may be nothing to the mind of Ho-oh to wait five or ten years before calling Silver to him.”

“He’d better,” Saylee turned and stormed away from the hospital. “Now if you’ll excuse me, Ethan’s parents need to know that we’re back and what’s happened. I owe them a major apology.”

{}

Ethan’s mother held his hand while he twitched and whimpered in his sleep. Ethan’s father just stood behind her, gripping her shoulder and staring at their pale, shivering son. Saylee’s rage had long burned out, replaced by heavy, gnawing guilt that made her feel like she would be sick while talking to Ethan’s parents. Ethan was just a _child_ …

“I am so, so sorry,” she said for the millionth time. “I—”

“Don’t,” Ethan’s mother said stiffly. “It’s done.”

“How long will he be like this?” Ethan’s father asked. “Can’t we do anything for him?”

“I don’t know,” Saylee confessed. “He needs to be able to fully accept Lugia’s power and memories… that’ll take time, how much probably depends on the strength of his will…”

“He’s always been so strong and energetic,” Ethan’s mother said. Her husband hugged her.

“He _is_ strong,” Marina agreed, “so he’ll be fine. He’ll have his powers down in _no_ time.”

“Lugia’s got some bad memories, though,” Tobias muttered. “I’m trying to… drown them out, focus on good and interesting stuff, make the bad fade away, but some of it’s very fresh and I think it’s the reason Lugia decided to go human…” he looked up at Ethan’s parents. “You’re gonna have to make him talk about him, so he can sort through them. Else they’ll sink into him, into _Ethan,_ and then they’ll really hurt him.”

“I suspect the geisha may have some ideas for how to help Ethan deal with this,” Saylee said reluctantly. Ethan’s mother shook her head.

“No, I’d rather he studied at Sprout Tower,” she said. “It’s much closer to home, right by his school, and the monks there emphasize inner peace and harmony above fighting.”

“I think inner harmony might be just the thing that Ethan needs,” Saylee agreed. “He and Lugia both.” She stood up and bowed her head. “I’m really, really sorry about all this, but if you’ll excuse me… I know who the geisha will likely want to talk to next, and I’d rather find him before they do.”

{}

“Saylee! Excuse me! Saylee!”

Saylee had never heard anyone shout so quietly. She stopped in front of the travel centre, waiting for Jasmine to catch her up and catch her breath.

“How’ve you been, Jasmine?” Saylee asked. “What’s up?”

“It’s… it’s finished!” Jasmine panted, straightening up. “Well, actually, it’s, um, been finished for a while, um, but, well, the seas have been awful rough, but…”

“What’s finished?” Saylee asked, perplexed.

“The new ship!” Jasmine said brightly. “We’re taking it out for safety testing, and then one it’s stocked we’ll be able to christen it and set it out on its maiden voyage next month! Isn’t it amazing?” Jasmine was clearly excited; her sentence hadn’t contained a single “um”.

“That’s great!” Saylee said grinning. “Where’s it going?”

“That’s, well, that’s just it,” Jasmine said, going pink. “You, um, said a ship managed to, um, leave Kanto, so, um, Daddy sent out some, uh, some boats to test the waters… the, uh, last time one of our ships went too near Kanto waters, it, uh…”

“Melted, I heard,” Saylee said. “That was thirteen years ago, though.”

“Yes, well, um, the water’s hardly drinkable or anything, but it’s, um, safe to sail in now, they say,” Jasmine said brightly. “The ship’s been, uh, commissioned! It’ll, uh, carry a major shipment of, uh, workers and supplies to finish the, uh, the Magnet Train, and a bunch of, uh, trainers and, um, humanitarian workers, and, well, I know you’re from, um, Kanto, and, uh, you kind of, you know, saved the city when you, um, found out what was polluting the water, so, um, I talked to Daddy and, well, here.” She thrust an envelope out to Saylee. Saylee took it and opened it, finding two first-class tickets on the maiden voyage of the _S.S. Aqua_. They were little silver-green slips printed with a giffie of a ship sailing across waves made of stars.

“Free tickets? Really?” she said excitedly. Jasmine nodded.

“Well, nothing less, of course, for, uh, a Sar,” she said. “Actually, we’re still, uh, processing it, but, um, you’re getting a pass to all of, uh, our ships. You’ll be able to get the, um, get the ships, as often as you want, in and out of, uh, Johto and, um, wherever. So long as they belong to, well, to the, um the _Sea Star Line_. That’s, um, the company name. Uh…”

“Thank you!” Saylee said excitedly, giving her a big hug. “I was worried about having to go east through the mountains! Thank you so much! Especially for including a second ticket!”

“Well, you know, just in, um, case, I didn’t know if your, uh, your boyfriend, um, if he was still here,” Jasmine said shyly. Saylee smiled.

“He’s not, but my little brother is,” she said. “He’s been looking forward to going back to Kanto, or at the very least leaving Mahogany.”

“Oh! You go give him the, uh, the news,” Jasmine said, bowing her head, then turning and rushing off in a flurry of nervousness.

“Thank you so much!” Saylee shouted after her. Hugging the tickets to her chest, she ran down the road and started making her way out of the city.

Tobias and Mary had beaten her to the rendezvous point at the edge of the suburbs. Mary had gone up to visit her mother while Saylee had been awaiting the arrival of Ethan’s parents, so Tobias had gone to get her when Saylee left the hospital. “What took you so long?” Tobias asked. “I thought you’d beat us here. Hey, what’s that? You look happy!”

“It’s an easy way home, Toby,” Saylee said happily, hugging the tickets. “They’re boat tickets. We’re not going to have to go through the caves. We’re getting a ship back to Kanto!”

{}

“That poor child,” Helen said, pouring Saylee some tea. “I don’t know about these days, but when I was young, girls were queuing up to train as geisha. It was a great honour. I studied with them myself, for a little while, but…” she sighed, shaking her head. “They were terribly ritualistic, and quite strict. Punishments could be quite severe. They dedicate themselves to higher powers, and the ends always justify the means… of course, I’m sure someone must play that part, especially when dealing with gods, but it just wasn’t the life for me.” She sipped at her own tea. “Besides, staying in the okiya for years on end didn’t suit my itchy feet. Travelling the world with Arthur, that was the life for me!”

“Sounds like you,” Silver grumbled. “Your boyfriend complained that you never stay in one place.”

“Hi there, Silver,” Saylee said, smiling warmly at the boy as he slouched into the room with Siren on his heels. “Did you miss me?”

“Yeah, right,” Silver said, rolling his eyes. “You’re back _already_? Man, that wasn’t as big a deal as you made out, was it?”

“So it was for totally unrelated reasons that you were trying to learn to read that sea chart to see if there was a way to get into the Whirl Islands without getting drowned?” Gareth asked, popping through the wall.

“SHUT UP, GARETH,” Silver yelled, returning the trickster ghost. “Anyway, when are we leaving this dump? You promised that when you got back, we were leaving.”

“We are, just not right away,” Saylee said, producing the ship tickets. “The _S.S. Aqua_ leaves on its maiden voyage in a month’s time, and we’re first-class passengers. Until then, however, we’ll still be here.”

“Awww… a _month_?!” Silver complained. “Do I still have to go to _school_ the whole time?!”

“As long as you’re living under my roof, young man, yes you do,” Helen said sternly. “Well, I’ll plan a little get-together to say goodbye to you both, how about that? We’ll have a little party the day before you get your ship. I’ll invite Molly and her family in from Goldenrod... those trainers that helped you out in the fighting, do you think they’ll want to come? I’ll call them up, give me their names…”

“I need to go visit Lance again in Blackthorn before then,” Saylee explained. “I’ll go next week.”

“I need to go with you,” Silver declared. “We’ve got to do this presentation shit in class next week and I don’t want to.”

“A presentation on what?” Saylee asked. Silver shrugged.

“You’re supposed to do a presentation about the history of your hometown,” Helen supplied. “Most of the kids are doing various aspects of Mahogany’s history, such as the formation of the Lake of Rage or the ninja clans... don’t worry, you’re not the only child not from Mahogany, the Mowitt’s girl’ll be talking about Goldenrod, and the Oliphants moved from Ecruteak, their little boy’ll have quite a lot to talk about…”

“And I already stopped caring,” Silver said, walking over to the counter and reaching for the biscuit jar. “I don’t wanna talk about Viridian. Nobody cares about Viridian. Viridian’s a shithole.”

“Language, young man,” Helen said. Silver rolled his eyes.

“Viridian’s rubbish,” he said, leaning up on tiptoes to reach all the way across the counter to the jar. “I’m not talking about it. What the hell do they want me to say, anyway? Nobody knows sh— _anything_ about Viridian except that for the past ages it’s been run by a gang of murders and thieves until they all got their asses beat by a _girl_?”

“It’s true, Kanto’s not that big on the whole history thing,” Saylee agreed. “You could talk about Viridian Forest… some of the trees in there are supposed to be hundreds to thousands of years old.”

“I grew up near some old-ass trees with a bunch of murdering thieves, the end,” Silver said, finally reaching the biscuit jar. “Alriiiight… hey, why’s there nothing in there?”

“You ate all of this week’s biscuits already,” Helen said placidly. “There’ll be more biscuits on Cressday. Tell you what, if you write your presentation, maybe the tin’ll fill up, hmmm?”

“I don’t have to do it if I’m going to Blackthorn, though, _right_?” Silver said, looking intently at Saylee. Saylee shifted uncomfortably.

“Silver, the man I’m going to go see is very dangerous,” she said. “I don’t know if…”

“Oh, shut up,” Silver said, storming out.

“Silver!” Saylee called, then sat back down and sighed. “I know he doesn’t like school, but…”

“Oh, that’s not it, you idiot,” Siren said, dropping down in front of Saylee and making her jump.

“Siren, haven’t I asked you not to crawl around on the ceiling?” Helen said placidly.

“Probably,” Siren said, grinning at Saylee. “Listen, he’s being a dork and you’re dense so I’m going to point out that he kinda misses you when you go away. I think you get on his nerves less than everyone else around here.”

“I’m… flattered?” Saylee said. “I know I shouldn’t leave him behind, not when I promised I’d look after him. But he’s going to Kanto with me…”

“…which is totally safer than Blackthorn, from the sounds of it,” Siren snarked. “And please don’t try any of that ‘let him try having a normal life’ bullshit that the humans around here keep spouting. It doesn’t work for him, and he’s miserable here. He might not act happy being dragged around with you, but at least he’s not miserable.”

“You’re a lot like Tyra, you know?” Saylee said. Siren jumped off of the table.

“Say that again and I’ll cut you,” she said, loping off after her trainer.

“That poor boy is so troubled,” Helen sighed. “I wonder if visiting his mother in jail would help in some way, but he refuses to.”

“I don’t know how it would,” Saylee said. “To be honest, _I’d_ be happy if he was never anywhere near that woman ever again. I wonder what _my_ mother will think of him. I’ve written to her about him, and she says she looks forward to having him over, but I wonder if it’ll be different when she meets him in person.”

“Well, from what you’ve said about your mother, she sounds like a real sweetie,” Helen said, patting Saylee’s hand. “Now, much as I’d like that boy to get an education—and frankly, dear, if you ever wanted to get your high school equivalency, I could point you to some good teachers—he’s not responding to school right now. He needs someone that he _does_ respond to. And there’s nobody he responds to like his big sister.”

“I should probably go tell him that he’s welcome to come to Blackthorn with me,” Saylee sighed, slouching a little in her chair. “Do I need to talk to his teacher?”

“No, I’ll talk to her,” Helen promised. “I don’t think she’s a bad woman, you know. She pushes all the kids she teachers—certainly pushed Lucy—but it’s her way of getting them fired up to do well just to spite her. It works on kids with any level of self-esteem, usually. I’m afraid she doesn’t know what to do about kids like Silver.”

“I’ll figure something out,” Saylee said, standing up. Helen smiled at her.

“I know you will, dear,” she said.


	54. Chapter 54

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 21 
> 
> Deaths: 4

“BOO!”

“Aaah!” Silver nearly fell off of the ledge he was sitting on. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Experts have yet to come to a conclusion,” Saylee said, sitting next to him and dangling her legs off the edge. It was only four feet above the training field and got a good bit of spring sun. “This is a nice spot.”

“Tyra boosts me up.” Silver glanced over at the pond, where the red crests on Tyra’s tail were just visible above the water, and kicked his heels against the cliff. “I’m _not_ doing the stupid presentation, and I’m really not going to a party or fancy dinner or whatever goodbye shit she’s got planned. Gran’s always trying to get me to be social and stuff, and I _hate_ it. I have to be all polite and they’re all weird and polite and I _hate_ it. They’re all so… _happy_ … it’s stupid.”

“Does it make you uncomfortable?” Saylee asked. Silver rolled his eyes. “Okay, stupid question. Do you like any of our relatives?”

“Training with Lucy’s kinda fun, even if she is weak,” Silver said grudgingly. “And the old man’s alright. He’s _really_ not weak. He’s got some cool stories about travelling the world and stuff, places he’s been and Pokémon he’s trained and people he’s beat…” his hands fisted in the grass before he started pulling bits up and shredding them. “But they’re all… the rest of them… they’re just _putting up_ with me ‘cause they think they _have_ to. ‘Cause we’re _related_. You don’t have to be nice to someone just ‘cause they’re _related._ And anyway, they all treat me like a little kid. And school sucks. I can read and do numbers, what more do they want?! But all the kids are _stupid_ and _smug_ and… and they’re _kids_ , they just want to mess around… and then there was this parent-teacher thing, only I was the only person who had a grandparent instead of a mum or a dad, and all the other kids were giving me these _looks_ , and I should’ve beaten them up, ‘ _specially_ Kyle, he’s got a big mouth and he’s stupid, but Gran wouldn’t let me bring my Pokémon and she wouldn’t let me go beat him up _myself_ … and I hate my teacher, Ms Cook. She’s _stupid_ and _weak_. She made out that I was dumb just ‘cause I didn’t know about some war a thousand year ago or some shit, but how’m I suppose to know? I wasn’t there! But she acted like I was dumb and lazy… and she gets pissy ‘cause I still read slow, but c’mon, who _reads_? Just some stupid story about some knight a long time ago anyway. And she _always_ blames me for fights, even the ones I didn’t start, and doesn’t _listen_. I hate her!”

He was shouting by the end of it, wrenching fistfuls of grass out of the ground.

Saylee had no experience of formal education. Her learning as a child consisted of herself, Red, Blue and Daisy listening to whatever Professor Oak told them. She could vaguely remember, when she was very little, a girl Daisy’s age named Green, but then Green had gotten sick from some bad food or water or something and died when Saylee was four or five. Professor Oak picked up books whenever he could for them to read, and Red had read them to Saylee all the time, books about raising Pokémon or fairy tales or science books, anything at all to distract Saylee from being hungry.

Saylee figured that education in Johto was more of an actual priority than a distraction, and Helen had insisted that Silver’s teacher wasn’t a bad one, but it was plain to see that it wasn’t doing Silver any good.

“Feel better?” Saylee asked. “Well, if it helps, you’re welcome to come to Blackthorn with me. And remember, in a month, we’re away to Kanto and you never have to come back here ever again if you don’t want to.”

“Promise?” Silver said intently. “Every time you’ve left Ecruteak, you came back when you promised to, so I’ll believe you if you promise.”

“I promise,” Saylee said. “You could live in Pallet or Viridian with me and my mum. There’s a little school there too, and I hear the woman who runs it is very good. Lots of kids there train Pokémon too. Actually, most of them train Pokémon caught by Blue and myself… You’ll be better than all of them, probably. Maybe you’ll like the classes better, too. And you won’t be the only kid there without parents. It’s not as common as when I was a kid—a lot of people around my age don’t even _know_ who their parents are—but there are still plenty of kids who don’t have parents for… lots of reasons…” _Fighting, starvation, or just because the kid’s mum sold or dumped the kid as soon as it was born… It’s not uncommon for sellers to end up with kids when they can’t even feed themselves…._

“It’s not the same,” Silver grumbled. “My parents aren’t _dead_ , they’re just...”

“I know,” Saylee said, putting an arm around his shoulder. She was so surprised when he actually leaned into the hug that she almost took it away again but stopped herself just in time. “Nobody can understand your life but you, Silver. He’s still my dad too, for what it’s worth.”

“You can have him,” Silver growled. “You can _keep_ him.” He started shredding grass again. “What’s your… your mum like?”

“She used to be sad a lot,” Saylee said, having to consciously stop herself from shredding grass herself. “I think she’s struggled a lot with the kind of life she’s had to live.” _Can’t be easy, feeding two kids while keeping them from being eaten_ , she thought but didn’t say. _I know she did what she had to to feed us. Red said she used to have jewellery when I was a baby… by the time I’m old enough to remember, she was getting food by going into towns and camps with Jenny and Daniel to sell. Half the reason I decided to start training was that the only other way to make money when you have nothing is to sell, if you’re old enough, and I nearly was. The other half was Red._ “She got even sadder when Red left, and then he disappeared… she loves us a lot.” She smiled. “But from what I hear, her new boyfriend makes her pretty happy. She’s written quite a bit about him, although she says she refuses to commit until I’ve met him.”

“She won’t like me, will she?” Silver said quietly. “Nobody does. I’m trouble.”

“That you are,” Saylee said, squeezing his shoulders, “and yet, for some mad reason, I like you. I may have been concussed one too many times. Or maybe it’s because your Pokémon like you, which is a sure sign that you’re not a bad kid under all that. I heard a saying somewhere… to get the measure of a man, don’t watch how he acts, watch how his wife and his Pokémon act around him.”

“I don’t have a wife,” Silver grumbled.

“It’s just an old saying,” Saylee said. “It doesn’t have to… what’s wrong?” Silver had suddenly stiffened, eyes going wide. He looked around sharply at the ridge above them. Saylee did likewise.

Standing on the cliff above them was Entei.

Entei leapt down to stand in front of them, making Saylee jump. She had never been so close to the imposing beast before. Seven feet tall and hefty with shaggy brown fur, the fluffy white curls on its back floated as if caught in a heat updraft. Its eyes were the same blood-red as the spiky crests extending down from its face, with a gold crest crowning it all like a king. Still, the longer Saylee looked, the more she felt that Entei’s look was not intended to be condescending or imposing. It was more curious. Entei was watching them to see what happened.

“Entei,” Silver breathed. He looked up at Saylee. “You ran away last time. So you’re willing to hang around with her again?”

“Again?” Saylee asked in surprise. “Entei _always_ runs away when it sees me coming, doesn’t it?” She looked up at the huge beast, which had its gaze fixed on Silver.

“Her,” Silver said absentmindedly. “She was at the Lake of Rage. She… helped save you. Um…” Silver shifted uncomfortably. “Thank… thank you,” he said, looking up at Entei. “If you hadn’t come along, this idiot could’ve died,” he said, poking Saylee in the arm. “That… that would’ve sucked, I guess. So… thank you, Entei.”

The moustache-like white crest on Entei’s face shifted. It looked faintly like there was a smile somewhere under there. Then Entei bowed its head to Silver.

Saylee stood up. “Not yet,” she called. “Not yet, you hear me? He’s just a child. You don’t get to have him yet!”

Entei stepped backwards at her shout. Then the great beast turned and ran.

“What the fuck did you do that for?!” Silver yelled, jumping to his feet. “You scared her away! What were you talking about?!”

“Silver,” Saylee said, turning to him, “Do you know why I went to Olivine?”

“What? To take that kid to Lugia, right?” Silver said, confused. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

 _He’s five months older than you_ , Saylee thought. “Lugia and Ethan became one,” Saylee explained. “Ethan can control storms, one day, when he learns how, and probably a whole lot more. But it’s going to take a long time to get to use his powers, not just because he’s not used to them yet. It’s made him ill, Silver, terribly ill. His body can’t handle that power yet. He’s not going to be getting out of bed for a while… I don’t know how long. If I’d known what state he’d end up in, I never would have let the geisha talk me into taking him there…”

“And this has what to do with me?” Silver demanded, crossing his arms.

“Silver, the Beasts woke up when you entered Burned Tower,” Saylee said. “And this isn’t the first time you’ve run into one, is it?”

“No,” Silver admitted. “So what?”

“The Beasts are traditionally the servants of Ho-oh,” Saylee explained. “Entei deferred to you right now, and you knew… you knew Entei was female. How?”

“How? ‘Cause she _is_ ,” Silver said, looking confused. “They just… _are_. They’re…” he frowned, looking down. “Didn’t you… hear her speak? She said ‘you’re welcome’.”

“I didn’t hear her, Silver,” Saylee said softly. “Only you can hear her. There’s one more thing, Silver, and it’s very important. Have you ever seen or found a feather? A special feather? One that glows?”

“A what? No,” Silver said, looking even more confused. “What the hell are you talking about? Feather?”

“One day soon, Ho-oh is going to leave a feather on the ground in front of you,” Saylee sighed, sitting down heavily. “When that happens, the Geisha will want to take you to meet Ho-oh, and when that happens you’re going to end up like Ethan…”

“Wait, I’m going to get to be a _god_? Why the hell didn’t you _tell_ me?!” Silver yelled excitedly. Saylee grabbed his shoulders.

“Silver, Ethan’s been too weak to even wake up yet!” she said sharply. “I don’t want to see that happen to you, got it?”

Silver stared at her for a moment. Then he shook her arms off and skidded down the slope.

“I’ve got an idea,” he said. “I still don’t really know what’s going on with this god stuff, but I don’t like being told what to do. So I’ll only let you tell me what to do if you can beat me just now, got it?” He ran out onto the battlefield. Saylee sighed, relaxing a little. Silver hadn’t beaten her yet.

“Well, then this is an important battle, isn’t it?” Saylee laughed, following him down onto the field. “I’ll give it my best!”

“You’d better!” Silver called. “Go, Zeb!” The Pokémon he released was not a large Golbat, though, but a four-winged purple bat Pokémon.

“Silver… Zeb evolved into Crobat!” Saylee said happily. “They only do that when they feel truly loved… I’m so proud of you!”

“Shut up!” Silver said, going red. Zeb just grinned. “He’s _way_ stronger now!”

“I guess so!” Saylee laughed, picking up Mary’s pokéball. “I can’t wait to see what he can do!”

{}

“I think you’re going the wrong way,” Silver complained as they walked along one of the broader sections of the mountain path. “You should call Lucy or something and find out where the hell you’re going.”

“Silver, I can’t go the wrong way, there’s only one path,” Saylee said patiently. “Besides, there’s no call signal until we get to Blackthorn.” She held out her pokégear to Mag, who waggled his magnets apologetically.

“Why aren’t we _there_ already?” Silver whined. “We were there already when we went with Lucy! It didn’t take this _long_!”

“That was because Gareth was flying you around,” Saylee said. “Should I have left you in Mahogany?”

“No!” Silver said sharply, running up to walk next to her. To Saylee’s surprise, he actually grabbed her arm. “You _promised_ you weren’t going to leave me behind!”

“I didn’t leave you behind, though, did I?” Saylee said, stopping and squeezing his arm. The boy looked utterly panicked. “Silver, calm down. I promised that I wouldn’t leave you behind, and I won’t.”

“Good,” Silver said, pulling away from her and walking ahead. Mag followed, buzzing soothingly. “Because if you ever _broke_ that promise, I’d never trust you about anything ever again. _Ever_.”

“Warning received,” Saylee promised with a laugh. “Now, the path’s a bit wider here, we can probably let out more of our—”

Mag looked up sharply and sparked just before mud and rocks rained down on them.

“SILVER!” Saylee screamed, holding up her arms to protect herself from pelting rocks and trying to run towards her little half-brother as he vanished under a slide of mud with his Magneton. She grabbed the first two pokéballs to hand and released Georgia and Tobias.

“Toby, find Silver!” Saylee yelled, ducking behind Georgia and pointing at the spot where Silver had vanished, praying that the mud hadn’t knocked him over the sheer cliff edge. Tobias nodded and flew towards the settling mudslide, psychically deflecting falling rocks.

“What in the name o’ doimonds is all this?!” Georgia yelled as rocks and mud bounced off of her without moving her. “OI! YOU PIECES O’ SCREE! GET YOUR ARSES DOWN ‘ERE!”

There was some heavy laughter from up above, then Saylee felt the ground rumble beneath her feet. Georgia ducked to one side and wrapped two arms around her trainer to protect her as five huge, round grey boulders rolled down the cliffside and encircled them. Saylee glanced desperately over to where Tobias had gone, but she could see no sign of him or Silver.

The five boulders unfolded themselves into a gang of Graveller. “What’d you call us, y’old freak?” The biggest one spat at Georgia.

“Pieces o’ scree,” Georgia said, cracking her knuckles. “You goin’ t’foight us loike boulders or pebbles?”

“Bring it on, hag!” the Graveller cheered, starting to fling rocks and boulders at her. Georgia deflected them three-handedly with ease, keeping one wrapped protectively around Saylee.

“Toby!” Saylee yelled. “TOBY! WHERE ARE YOU?”

“Never fear, moy love,” Georgia said, picking up one Graveller by his heels when he charged her and swinging him like a club to attack his friends. “We’ll ‘ave these bits o’ scree down in a tick and foind them, alroight?”

“You wanna see what we’ve got, debris?” the one she was holding yelled furiously. “YOU WANNA SEE?”

“NO!” Georgia yelled, trying to fling him away while pushing Saylee in the opposite direction. She didn’t get him far enough away before he exploded.

Georgia was between Saylee and the explosion, but Saylee still felt as if the air was punched out of her as she was blown backwards. It wasn’t a hot explosion, but a forceful one, and Saylee flung her hands up over her face as shards of rock hide were blasted towards her. She screamed in pain as one struck her on the arm so hard that she heard and felt a _crack_ , and only vaguely managed to be grateful that that had been her arm and not her face before she realized that there was no longer any ground under her feet and she was falling.

Saylee couldn’t even scream; she hadn’t regained the ability to breathe since the explosion, and her head was spinning too much to remember how. She was so dazed that when she suddenly felt claws around her good arm and smelled feathers, she murmured, “Pedro…?”

“Are you alright, Lee? Can you hear me? Lee?”

 _Lee? Not doll…?_ “Explosion,” Saylee murmured. “Gotta help… Vick… no… someone…” she gasped for breath, finally feeling her lungs fill again.

“I see Georgia! GEORGIA! GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE WATER!”

“Water…?” Saylee couldn’t quite figure out which way was up, so she looked vaguely around until she saw the waterfall, cascading down the cliff. There was some shouting as several large boulders went tumbling over the edge. “Geor… gia…”

“She’s fine, she got out of the way in time,” the claws around her arm said soothingly. “That little white one… isn’t his name Tobias?”

“Toby… Toby…” Saylee tried to call out. “Toby… did you…” The claws set Saylee down on damp mud, and Saylee immediately fell over. Someone was coughing near her. Saylee rolled over and screamed in pain as she rolled onto her broken arm.

“Lee!” Tobias said in a panic, flitting over to her. “It’s okay! Silver and Mag are okay… well, Mag’s pretty bad hurt, mud’s not good for him, but I think he’ll live. Silver swallowed some mud but I think he’s unhurt, just really shaken…”

“Are you okay?” Silver said, popping into Saylee’s vision next to Tobias. His glasses were gone, and he was coated from head to foot in brown. “Hey? Hello in there?”

Saylee reached out her good arm to him. His voice was shaking. “Are you… okay?” Saylee said hoarsely.

“I’m fine! I…” Silver coughed heavily.

“Don’t swallow it, get it out,” Saylee murmured, weakly patting at his back. She barely had the strength to move her arm, let alone give his back a proper thump, but he retched anyway, doubling over and expelling mouthfuls of mud and vomit. “Good… get rid of that…”

“Georgia! Georgia, are you okay?” Someone was screaming. _Georgia’s hurt._ Saylee tried to stand up to go to her, but she couldn’t balance and stumbled to her knees.

“Chip, help me out…” Saylee murmured, scrambling for her pokéballs and accidentally releasing Mary before finding her Typhlosion. “Carry me over… to Georgia… too dizzy to stand…” With Chip and Mary’s assistance, Saylee managed to stagger over to Georgia. The great Golem was leaning against the damp cliff wall and coughing. A Pidgeot and a Furret were fussing over her.

“We gotta stop the, uh… is this bleeding for you?” the Furret was asking nervously, running hyperactively around Georgia’s side, from which sand was trickling and spraying. “Lyra! Lee! Whoever the hell you are! Glad to see you again, glad we found you, do you know what the hell to do here?”

“Steve… Peggy?” Saylee said, realizing who they were. “Georgia…”

Chip sucked in a sharp breath. “Lee… are you seein’ this?”

One of Georgia’s arms was gone, sliced off by the huge, sharp chunk of rock that had embedded itself into the soft stone exposed around her arms. The stone under her shell was cracked and collapsing in on itself, pouring out of the hole in her side as sand.

“Georgia…” Saylee said, slumping by her side and sobbing. “I can’t find your pokéball… think I dropped it in that attack… hold on, just hold on…” she started digging one-handedly into her bag.

“You’ll be up an’ aboot in a wee jiff,” Mary promised. “Yer a hard nut tae crack, you’ve taken worse’n this, easy… We’ll get this chunk ae rock oot ae you, an’…” Georgia weakly batted Mary away as she reached for the sharp stone.

“D-don’t…” Georgia muttered roughly. “’s just… goin’ t’make me… break up faster… anyways…” she coughed and spat gravel all over the ground. “Oi’m sorry, moi love… you ‘urt…?”

“N-never mind me,” Saylee choked, drawing out the strongest potion she had in a shaky hand. “Just… just hold still… okay?” She tried spraying it over Georgia’s wounds, but she was woozy and her aim was off and it didn’t seem to be having any effect at all. Saylee was crying so hard now that she couldn’t even see.

“Georgia!” Steve yelled. “Come on, Georgia, we just found you guys so we could hang out and be an awesome team again! We totally need to be an awesome team again! Hang in there!”

“Georgia, honey, you’ve got to hang on,” Peggy begged her. “Do you have any more of those potions, Lee?”

“I’ve got more… this one’s just defective… I’ve…” Saylee scrambled through her bag. Georgia’s heavy, solid hand stopped her.

“Don’t croy, moy love,” Georgia said. “T’ain’t as… bad as you think… born in a dark ‘ole in th’ groun’, always figgered oi’d doi in one… thanks... all you loves… thanks for… th-the… light…”

Something in the arm _cracked,_ and it fell off. Saylee barely jerked her arm out of the way before it crashed heavily onto the ground in front of her and crumbled into sand. The rest of Georgia’s shell fell apart as everything within dissolved into sand and dust.

“Georgia!” Saylee screamed as she reached for her Golem and only got handfuls of sand. “GEORGIA!”

“Pegs, we’ve gotta go find those assholes so I can give ‘em another Surf!” Steve growled, scrambling up Peggy’s back. “C’mon! I’ll follow it up with a Whirlpool!”

“Don’t!” Tobias sad, flying up next to Steve. “Silver and Lee are hurt! We need to get them somewhere safe first! Anyway, you knocked them over a cliff with Surf and one of them exploded, if they’re even still alive…”

“Silver,” Saylee muttered, shoving her glasses into her forehead as she desperately tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. Silver was staggering over, leaning on Mag and staring white-faced at the pile of broken slabs and sand that was all that was left of Georgia. “Are you… okay…?”

“Do I _look_ like I feel okay?” Silver snapped weakly, breathing deeply and trying to wipe muddy vomit from around his mouth. “She… she turned into _sand_... and that other Graveller… he-he was blown _apart_ … why would you _do_ that?” He stared at Saylee. “Why…” he coughed again, retching up mud.

“Peggy… we need to go to Blackthorn _now_ …” Saylee croaked, levering herself to her feet with Chip’s assistance. “Silver could have breathed… or swallowed… something bad… and my arm… doesn’t feel great…” She watched Tobias fluttering around over the heap of sand that used to be Georgia, muttering prayers. Mary was muttering along with him sorrowfully. “Come on…”

“What about your Golem?” Silver said hoarsely as Chip and Mag lifted him up onto Peggy’s back.

“She’s gone,” Saylee said softly, scooping some sand into the empty potion bottle. “We’re alive. Let’s keep it that way…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this nearly two years ago, by the way. I think I accidentally invented horde battles…? Also GOD DAMMIT EXPLOSION I HATE YOU
> 
> RIP Georgia the Golem, level 4-48


	55. Chapter 55

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 21 
> 
> Deaths: 5

“You’re so BIG now!” Steve cried, running around and around Chip and yelping when Chip peered closely at him. Steve was no midget himself; in fact, he was as tall as Chip. Saylee wondered whether Steve had grown abnormally strong, or Frederick was just a runt.

“An’ you’ve been gettin’ skinnier,” Chip said. “You been eatin’ less?”

“More, actually,” Peggy commented. “He’s just become even more hyperactive—believe it—so he burns it all up. So, do introduce me to your charming new friends!”

“I’m Tobias! Call me Toby,” Tobias said, flitting up to Peggy. “Blessings be on your soul. And this is Mary…”

“Awright,” Mary said, waving to Peggy. “I heard about yous fae Chip, Georgie an’ Wendy.” Her face fell. “But Wendy’s goan… now Georgie is too…” Tobias hugged her.

“Where’s Georgia gone?” Gabriel asked, lying his head down on the riverbed. They were all sitting by the mountain river just south of Blackthorn, within view of the hospital where Saylee and Silver were being patched up and the adjoining clinic where Mag was getting cleaned up and reenergized. Saylee had released Gabriel as they came into the town to allow her Pokémon to get to know each other while she was at the hospital.

“I’m not knowin’ how t’be sayin’ this, Gabe…” Chip said, patting the huge red Pokémon’s side gingerly, “but Georgia’s… she’s bein’ gone like… like Nider’s bein’ gone.”

“Aye, mind whit happened tae Nider?” Mary said.

Gabriel growled. “Someone hurt Georgia,” he snarled. “Georgia can’t come back because _someone hurt her_?!”

“Hey, Gabriel, calm down!” Tobias cried as the water around Gabriel began to churn. Chip backed away nervously. “Calm down, sshh…”

“Cool it, big yin,” Mary ordered. “Dinnae make me zap ye.”

“Someone _hurt_ Georgia!” Gabriel roared, rearing up.

“Pegs, get me up there!” Steve cried. Peggy flew up to Gabriel’s head, letting Steve hop off onto the great Gyarados’ crest. “Hey, come on, big guy, it’s okay. The guys who hurt Georgia? I got ‘em, and I got ‘em good. Wanna know what I did? I hit ‘em hard with Surf and blasted ‘em all the way off the mountain!”

“They hurt Georgia… but they’re gone?” Gabriel growled. “You made them go?”

“I did,” Steve promised. “Screaming all the way!”

“He certainly did,” Peggy agreed. “They won’t be hurting anyone else any time soon, that’s for sure!”

The waters calmed down as Gabriel slowly leaned down and laid his head on the riverbed again. “That’s good,” he said. “Thank you.” He stared at Steve as the Furret hopped down from his head. “Who are you?”

“Gabe, this be Peggy an’ Steve,” Chip said, pointing to the Pidgeot and Furret in turn. “They were some o’ the first ‘mons that Lee was catchin’. They been trainin’ away for a while.”

“Yeah, but y’know, recently, we’ve felt like we didn’t have much more to learn from that Falkner guy and came after you,” Steve said pompously. Peggy nipped at his ear.

“We had plenty to learn,” she told him. “We have been rather worried about you all, truth be told. We were not together for long, I admit, but in those early days… well, Lee was our first trainer, and since she’s not a novice after all, no doubt there is much we can learn from her!”

“She had a Pidgeot called Pedro before so she’ll know how to train you well,” Tobias promised. “Mum and Dad and Chaz all say that Pedro was _real_ strong. He just got unlucky, that’s all, they said.”

“Well, that’s just perfect, isn’t it?” Peggy said brightly. Then her face fell again. “I do wish we could have trained with Georgia again… she was such a darling. Wendy too, always so nice and friendly even though I tried to eat her.”

“They were the beginning of our team,” Steve said sadly. “Not that you all aren’t awesome too! I can’t wait to fight together!”

“Once Lee’s healin’ up,” Chip said firmly. “The healer was sayin’ she’s broke her arm an’ was bumpin’ her head real bad.”

“So how long’s that? Two days? Three? Help me out, I don’t have any experience with humans getting hurt,” Steve said, running up to Chip.

“It can take more than a month if they don’t have proper medicine and care,” Tobias interjected. “Humans in Kanto don’t get medicine, so if it’s a real bad break it can even be two months.”

“They got medicine here, though,” Mary said. “That doc said three weeks, aye? Bet you anythin’ Lee’ll be oot ay bed lang afore that. An’ that wean only got a wee bit o’ dust doon ‘is throat, they’ve prob’ly cleaned ‘im up already.”

“We’re not here t’be fightin’,” Chip said. “We’re here t’be talkin’ t’Lance.”

“Aye, but wi’ the Dragon Clan, that tends tae mean fightin’,” Mary said darkly.

{}

Silver sat quietly while the nurse talked over Saylee’s scan results with her and doled out medications.

“Now, you should be fine, but press the nurse call button if you feel any sudden dizziness or experience any difficulties with your vision, alright?” The nurse said loudly. Saylee had burst an eardrum in the explosion, and while a surgeon had fixed it up, it still needed a couple of days to fully heal up. Saylee had to turn her head to listen through her left ear to anything said to her. “I’ll pass on your message to Lady Clair.”

“Thank you very much,” Saylee said. The nurse smiled at her and left the room. “How are you feeling, Silver?”

“I’m fine,” Silver grumbled. “ _I’m_ not stuck in a stupid hospital bed.” He fidgeted with his glasses for a while. Someone must have given him a new pair; the rims were silver instead of black. “How do you… get used to it?” He asked eventually. “So you don’t… puke or bawl like a baby or…”

“You mean… Georgia dying?” Saylee said slowly. She shook her head. “It doesn’t… it shouldn’t…”

“Aw, Ceez, are you _crying_ again?” Silver said, aghast. “C’mon, you stopped doing that to get us here, don’t start again!”

“Silver, my Golem just died,” Saylee said thickly. “And that hurts. That really hurts. And I’m glad it does, because I don’t ever want to feel nothing if one of my Pokémon dies, because that means I felt nothing for that Pokémon. That’s how people like Team Rocket are with their Pokémon, and I am _not_ like Team Rocket.” Silver looked down. “And _neither are you._ Silver? Thank you for being sad about Georgia’s death. She’s not even yours, and you’re sad for her. That’s not weak and it’s not stupid. It’s kind. Thank you.”

“I’m gonna go see if Mag’s okay,” Silver said abruptly, hopping to his feet and running off. Saylee smiled and wiped her eyes, reaching for her medicine.

_Don’t worry, Silver. I’ll pretend I didn’t see you crying._

{}

Saylee was scrolling around frustratingly vague mountain maps on her pokégear when the nurse knocked on her door.

“Lord Lance is here to see you,” the nurse informed Saylee, opening the door and bowing Lance into the room. Lance somehow managed to stride in while leaning on a silver-topped cane. “My Lord, when you’re done, Doctor Cox would like—”

“More scans, I know, tell him I’ll be there in my own time,” Lance said, waving a hand lazily. “That will be all.” The nurse bowed again and left the room. “A little frontal lobe damage and they panic… Do they bow for you? They really should, Sar.” He grinned lazily at Saylee and sat down in the chair next to her bed.

“Hi, Lance,” Saylee said wearily. “I have something to ask you, and I really hope you can help me out, given what it took to get here.”

“My condolences on your Golem,” Lance said. He actually sounded sincere. “Well, what’s your question?”

Saylee showed him the maps she was poring over on her pokégear—the Kanjo mountain range. “You know those mountains, right, Lance?”

“I suppose so,” Lance said, combing his fingers repeatedly through his pale-red hair, briefly exposing the jagged scar across the side of his head with every brush before his hair fell back over it again. “Not every inch of them. The highest peaks and lowest valleys… you’d die trying to get in and out of them, dragons or no. But I know my way around alright. I flew over those mountains, the first time I went to Kanto. I only found the passages underneath years later.”

Saylee nodded. “Then I have a request for you. Sar to Sir. I need you to find my brother. I need you to help me find Red.”

Lance’s eyebrows shot up, and his restless hand stilled on top of his head. “In the mountains?”

“Sabrina said he went west,” Saylee said firmly. “Morty said east. Nobody in Kanto’s seen him for three years, nobody in Johto ever. That only leaves the mountains. You said yourself that he left the plateau and went west. What if he got lost in the mountains? What if he’s still there?” She twisted her hands nervously. “Could you… live in those mountains?”

Lance nodded slightly, lowering his hand. “Maybe. If you knew what you were doing. There are Pokémon that live up on the mountain slopes, after all. There must be food. Snow makes for good clean water. Yes, you might be able to live out there… if you knew what you were doing, if you were _incredibly_ lucky…”

“Then there’s a chance that he’s still alive!” Saylee grasped desperately at that thought. When the thought of the mountains had first come into her head, it had paralyzed her with fear. Those mountains looked so dark, so cold, so impenetrable… but if anyone could live up there, Red would. He _had_ to. “Please, Lance. Help me find him.”

Lance began restlessly running his hand through his hair again. Saylee wondered if it was just a nervous tic or if he was suffering headaches. He said something about frontal lobe damage... “I’d be an idiot to go alone. I could put some search teams together and comb the mountains… but…”

“But?” Saylee demanded.

“Fight me again,” Lance said bluntly. “You’ve beaten me once, that’s true, so I’m sure you’ll have no problem doing it again. If I’m going to put together a search party from members of my clan, they need to see you beat me like they saw you beat Clair. So fight me again, and if you win, the Dragon Clan will scour the mountains for your brother.”

Saylee couldn’t speak. All she could think of was the last time she fought Lance and Lorenzo’s terrible death. Defeating Clair had come at the price of Nider’s life. “What rules?”

“You know what rules,” Lance said, stilling his hand as he sighed. “Blood rules. This is a serious matter. I would dishonour my clan and myself to fight at anything less than my utmost. You ought to do the same, you know. You never fight all out…”

“I will not kill,” Saylee said sharply, “and neither will my Pokémon.”

“And what if the price of that is their lives?” Lance said sorrowfully. “That is my proposal, Sar. You can have a month to decide. The best time to traverse the mountains is in late spring and high summer, in any case. The winds are lower and the snows not so deep. I will battle you again any time in that month. Until then, you are very welcome to train in and around Blackthorn, even in the caves if you wish, as an honorary member of the clan.” He got to his feet a little jerkily, his foot almost slipping away from underneath him for a moment before he got onto his cane; his motor control was still a little sloppy. “Until then…”

“I’ll get back to you,” Saylee said, looking away. “I’ll consider it.”

{}

“You’ve beaten’ ‘im before, you was sayin’?” Chip said as Saylee explained the situation to her team. “So be beatin’ ‘im again! Carrie an’ Hernan was fightin’ with you before, weren’t they? An’ you’ll be havin’ us this time too!”

“Aye, an’ they dragons arenae likin’ Gabe’s ice fang, are they?” Mary cackled, grinning at the blood-coloured Gyarados. Gabriel grinned back happily, though if he knew that he was being praised or if he was just returning the smile, Saylee wasn’t sure.

“I won before,” Saylee agreed. “But it cost my Lapras, Lorenzo, his life. And on the way to meet Lance for the first time, Pedro was killed by the Machamp of one of Lance’s henchmen. Bruno’s Machamp… he snapped Pedro’s neck…” It still made her tremble to remember the way Pedro died. One moment, he had been alive, strong and cocky and taking down everything in his path, and then a _snap_ later…

“Mum told me about that once,” Tobias said, flying over to give Saylee a little hug. “It’s okay, Lee. I’m sure there’s other ways to find your brother…”

“Don’t be silly, Toby,” Peggy argued. “We daren’t go into those mountains ourselves, not if we don’t know where we’re going.”

“Yeah, we’ll be dead in no time,” Steve agreed. “We’ll probably have to go with these guys.”

“Aye, you’ve taken this lot in a square go afore,” Mary said reassuringly. “You ken all ‘bout him, but he doesnae ken a bit about _us_. We’ll _belt_ ‘im.”

“Can you use any word at all to mean ‘beat up’?” Tobias said wonderingly.

“You’ve got t’be findin’ your brother, don’t you?” Chip said. “We were beatin’ Team Rocket, Lee. We’ll be fine.”

“He’s gi’en us a month, though, so let’s get trainin’!” Mary declared. “’Mon, big man, let’s get that ice fang o’ yours down, eh?” She grinned at Gabriel, who grinned broadly back and flicked his huge tail.

Saylee felt herself tearing up again. “Thank you, guys,” she said softly. “You’re too good for me.”

“We certainly are,” Peggy said proudly. “But we’ll let you tag along.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it wasn’t until edits that I discovered that apparently Furret are larger than Charizard…?! I usually take the pokédex sizes as the average size of a Pokémon on evolution and that they keep getting larger as they get stronger, but this is one case where it feels like they’re taking the piss.


	56. Chapter 56

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 21 
> 
> Deaths: 5

They rose early every morning to train on the slopes south of the city—Saylee appreciated the offer of the caves, but she wasn’t comfortable enough with the dragon trainers to fight them for the sake of training. Silver and his Pokémon usually joined them instead, but he didn’t usually wake up until Saylee and her Pokémon had been at it for at least two hours. It was while Silver was still asleep, one morning after a week of training, that Saylee was first approached.

“Sar Saylee of Kanto, is it?”

Saylee looked around for the speaker. He leapt out of nowhere, it seemed, landing in front of Saylee with a flourishing bow.

Steve and Chip both moved protectively to the fore of the group. “Who’re you?” Steve demanded, rearing onto his hind legs and fluffing out his fur.

“Calm down, dear,” the man laughed. He was wearing a ridiculous purple and yellow suit and a black mask that didn’t cover as much of his face as his large shock of bright purple hair did. He produced several pokéballs from nowhere and began to juggle them. “Call me Will. I’ve heard much about you, Sar, and I’ve been wanting to fight you _so_ much.” All but one of the pokéballs vanished. He held the last one out to her. “Indulge me? For funsies?”

“We can take this fruit, Lee,” Mary said. “It’ll be good trainin’!”

“Bring it on, I guess,” Saylee said with a nod. “Will.”

“Saylee,” he said with a bright grin, releasing a tall, green-and-white bird covered in black-and-red patterns. Saylee had never seen it before. She fumbled one-handedly for her Pokédex and found out that it was called Xatu.

“So, you’re a psychic trainer?” Saylee said. Will gave another flourishing bow. “Well, there’s more than one way to wake a Snorlax… Mary! Discharge!”

“Psychic, Xirena!” Will called. Xirena spread her wings, revealing patterns on her body that began to glow. Mary’s tail also began to glow and crackle as she charged up electricity.

Mary’s power charged faster. The powerful blast of electricity that she loosed knocked Xirena down before she could retaliate. The glow of her psychic power died down.

“My, my,” Will said in surprise. “It seems that your current team is just as strong as your famed older one!” He returned Xirena and flicked his wrist. “Do see to that, won’t you, Jaci?”

“Chip, switch!” Saylee ordered as a Jynx materialized. Mary ran back to Saylee’s side as Chip charge forwards. “Flamethrower!”

“I didn’t even get to command her!” Will cried as Jaci collapsed under the flames.

“If you’re a psychic trainer, you hardly need to command them aloud!” Saylee pointed out. “You can command them before they’re even out of their pokéball!”

“That I can,” Will said with a smile, returning Jaci and producing a new pokéball. “Forgive my rudeness in not doing so… it’s _quite_ disrespectful to you and your Pokémon to handicap myself.”

“Can it an’ bring it, ya nonce!” Mary called. Will bowed and released his next Pokémon.

“Switch in and Discharge, Mary!” Saylee ordered. Chip ducked back as Mary leapt over his head to attack the Slowbro that had appeared. It fired off a powerful blast of water at Mary. It would have floored Chip, but Mary shook it off easily and zapped the Slowbro all the harder.

“Smooth! Flawless! Magnificent!” Will cheered, switching out his Pokémon. “But you’ve not won yet!”

“Chip, switch and Flamethrower!” Saylee ordered. She knew the shape of an Exeggutor before the Pokémon had even finished materializing. It wasn’t even as large as Blue’s Edgar. Chip took it down with ease.

“I’m not done yet!” Will called, returning the Exeggutor again and releasing a fifth Pokémon. It was another Xatu.

“Mary!” Saylee called. “Y’know, I don’t always have to give directions aloud either…”

“Aye, I ken weel whit tae do,” Mary said, unleashing a third blast of electricity that floored the second Xatu.

“Okay, _now_ I’m done,” Will said, returning his second Xatu and clapping his hands. “You’re just everything Uncle said you were and more, aren’t you?”

“And who might your uncle be?” Saylee asked. A black shadow dropped down next to Will.

“Disappointed,” Koga said, folding his arms and looking sharply at Will. “I did tell you not to underestimate her, did I not?”

“Forgive my arrogance, Uncle,” Will said, removing his mask and bowing to Koga. “I am unaccustomed to losing to anyone but you, Janine and Karen.”

“Who’s this guy?” Steve said, confused.

“Lord Koga!” Saylee called. “Good to see you again! How are you?”

“Well,” Koga responded with a nod. “I see that you have been faring roughly yourself. Still leading city assaults, I hear? Both an unusual and dangerous hobby.”

“Oh…” Saylee glanced down at her broken arm. “It’s healing well, the doctor says. This wasn’t actually the Rockets. This was an explosion.”

“That does not sound any less dangerous,” Will commented. “Or fascinating.”

“Everyone, this is Lord Koga, master of the venerable ninja clan of Fuchsia,” Saylee said to her Pokémon. “Koga, this is Steve, Peggy, Tobias and Gabriel, and the ones that just handed your nephew’s arse to him are Mary and Chip.”

“It’s an honour to meet you,” Koga said, nodding to her Pokémon. “I am, in fact, no longer the master of Fuchsia. I have stepped down from that responsibility to become a travelling warrior, lending my strength to whomever is in need. Janine is now the master of the clan.”

“Good for her!” Saylee said happily. “I’d heard something about you going west…”

“The rebuilding of the train line has been fraught with peril,” Koga sighed. “The mountains are vicious and breed vicious Pokémon. But it is nearly complete, and steel towers are of less interest to wild Pokémon than warm, meaty builders.”

“We came to retrieve Lance,” Will explained. “He was with us until we reached the beginning of the line at Goldenrod, then left when he heard rumours of Team Rocket and never returned. We worried that he was dead…”

“Close to, for a while,” Saylee said. “I’m having a rematch with him soon, actually. I’ve got three weeks to challenge him. That’s what we’re training for.” She gestured to her Pokémon, who all fluffed themselves up in some way to look bigger and more intimidating.

“Would you like a rematch with _me_ first?” Koga asked, producing one of his own pokéballs and balancing it deftly on the tip of his finger. “We fought once in fog and blindness. But now we are new trainers, commanding fresh warriors, and it is past time we did battle in the light.”

“I guess I’m up for that,” Saylee said, looking around her Pokémon. “Guys?”

“Sure, I’ve not been breakin’ a sweat fightin’ that Will,” Chip said. “Me fires still be burnin’ strong!”

“We’ll beat you easy!” Steve added. “Come on!”

“Very well,” Koga said, flicking the pokéball into the air. “Shade!” A huge four-legged red insect appeared and scuttled towards Saylee.

“Peggy!” Saylee called the huge bird forwards. Saylee knew what an Ariados was, but she’d never seen one before, so she hadn’t quite comprehended how _big_ they were. Spinarak were no bigger than a Pidgey at best. Shade the Ariados was a metre and a half long and looked like he could devour Saylee whole. “Wing Attack!”

“Poison it,” Koga commanded. Shade raised his external poison claws at Peggy, but she dodged them easily and knocked the spider high into the air with her wings. In the air, she swooped swiftly around Shade and slammed him to the ground.

“I was mismatched,” Koga sighed, returning Shade, “but ‘twas ever thus and will not stop us! Phineas!”

The Pokémon that appeared looked like a round purple rock as large as Shade until it cracked around the middle. Beady black eyes peered at Peggy as red cannons clacked into place. Again, Saylee knew it from what she’d read but had never seen a Foretress before. “Chip!” She called. “Lava Plume!”

Peggy flew back to Saylee’s side as Chip spat blast after blast of lava at Phineas.

“Toxic Spikes!” Koga ordered sparkly. Phineas’ cannons fired a horde of small, purple bundles of spikes around the battlefield. One of them grazed Chip, who winced but didn’t stop moving, finally managing to hit Phineas dead on with a ball of lava. Koga returned Phineas as he collapsed in a smoking heap.

“Phineas did not leave your Chip unaffected,” he said with a smirk. “Now, do you recall Gethin?” The Pokémon he released was a foul-smelling lump of toxic sludge—a Muk, one of the most poisonous Pokémon alive.

“First time I’ve seen him,” Saylee admitted. She coughed at the foul smell pervading the air as soon as Gethin appeared. “Chip… Earthquake!”

Chip roared and slammed his forepaws into the ground, making the earth crack and shake. Gethin bellowed as a fissure opened up beneath him, and he slid into the ground, trapped.

“Be calm,” Koga ordered. “Gunk Shot!”

Chip was knocked backwards by the blast of filthy purple sludge. “Ooft… Lee, I’m not feelin’ well…” He collapsed to the ground. Saylee ran to his side, reaching out to him with her good arm. He was shivering, and the cut from the toxic spikes was leaking purple fluid.

“You’re poisoned,” Saylee whispered. “I’ll switch you…”

“I’ll be fine a minute more,” Chip muttered. “I’ll not be backin’ away from a lump o’ gunk.”

“Then don’t strain yourself,” Saylee said, looking down at the cracked ground and getting an idea. “…Lava Plume.”

Chip followed her gaze downward, grinned, and then bowed his head, shaking.

“Is your Typhlosion capable of continuing?” Koga asked. He stared down in confusion as the ground rumbled.

Gethin was blasted out of his fissure in the earth by a blast of boiling hot magma. He splashed to the ground and didn’t get up.

“Is your Muk?” Saylee asked. Koga returned Gethin wordlessly. “Chip, I’m going to do the same for you,” Saylee said, fumbling for his pokéball. “Great job, but you look worn out. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be worryin’…” Chip murmured weakly as he vanished.

“Zared,” Koga said, releasing a large purple Crobat.

“Oh, hey, my little brother has one of those!” Saylee said excitedly. “Mary, you know what to do with Crobat, right?”

“Ocht aye,” Mary said, leaping towards Zared with her raised fist sparking with electricity.

“Double Team!” Koga ordered. Dozens of Crobat flew in complex loops around Mary. “Now Poison Fang!” Every single Crobat flew towards Mary with its fangs bared.

“Flash!” Saylee called. Mary’s tail flashed, and in the bright light all but one of the Crobat faded. Mary punched that one out of the air before he could bite her. “Brilliant!”

“Uncle, you’ve only one left!” Will laughed. Koga smirked, returning Zared.

“I’ve been counting on this one from the very beginning,” he said, releasing a huge Venomoth. “Varde! Toxic!”

“Eurgh! That’s boggin’!” Mary yelped as Varde sprayed disgusting purple sludge at her.

“Signal Beam!” Saylee ordered. Mary fired a bright beam of light from her tail that hit Varde square in the face. He dazedly flew towards Mary’s tail and began to flap in unsteady circles around it. “Oh, that’s so cute!” she giggled.

“Varde! VARDE! Focus!” Koga barked.

Varde didn’t hear him, entranced by Mary’s tail. “Look at this, Koga!” he said excitedly, fluttering at it.

“Get ‘im off me!” Mary complained. “Permission tae Thunderpunch?”

“Granted,” Saylee said. Mary immediately swatted Varde out of the air. “Wow. Well. That happened.”

“I shall ascribe that victory to your prodigious skill in battle,” Koga said, returning Varde. “Well fought.”

“You too,” Saylee said. “Thanks for holding back on Chip when he was obviously hurt…”

“You and I were comrades once, and you wear the symbol of my clan still,” Koga said, gesturing to Saylee’s bag strap, where the pink-and-purple heart still sat amongst various other pins and emblems. “I would not wrong you so, as you have never sought to wrong any other.”

“Thanks, still,” Saylee sighed, leaning heavily against Peggy’s side. “I’m still… wrung out. Over my Golem’s death. And I’m feeling tense because I _need_ to battle Lance, but… I can’t forget how he killed Lorenzo, how Clair killed Nider… that’s how this clan battles, and it scares me.”

“One of the greatest markers of progress in our lives is learning not to fear that which has defeated us before,” Koga said, crossing his arms and looking thoughtfully at the sky. “It is learning to overcome and defeat it. That is how we know that progress has been made. It is your choice, of course, whether to fear the past or learn from it.”

“I’d like to think that I’ve learned from it,” Saylee said, thinking of the jar of Georgia-dust being kept safely in her bag until they were next at the sea. Georgia was already gone; a burial at sea wouldn’t bother her. _I think she’d like to be buried with Wendy, anyway_. “It’s just that these are mistakes I can’t afford to make twice.”

“Can you afford not to risk it?” Koga asked sternly. “Is your brother not worth the risk?”

“My brother means the world to me,” Saylee said softly. “He always has. But I’ve lost so many Pokémon, I’m scared of losing more…”

“They are not lost to you as long as you remember them,” Koga said, surprisingly sadly. “Did you know that I once had an elder brother myself?”

“You did?” Saylee said in surprise.

“My father, we think,” Will added.

“He vanished in the swamps _before_ ,” Koga explained. “I only discovered that he existed when going through old family records a few years ago. At one time, I searched relentlessly for him, as you search for Red. Now…” he sighed sadly. “I would not even know that he existed were it not for a piece of paper. I don’t even have memories of him. At least you have that much left to you, Saylee. Hold them dear and cherish them, and above all, make them worth it.”

 _“You need to make it worth it, doll. Make it worth all their lives._ ”

“Thanks, Koga,” Saylee said. “I will. I promise.”

Will pulled a buzzing pokégear out of his pocket. “Hello?” he said, turning away as he answered it. “Oh, are you? Good! Yes, she’s here. Yep, just watched her do it. Oh, she took me down in no time at all. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it. Oh, does he? Fine. I’ll let her know.” He closed his pokégear and turned back around, clasping his hands together. “Uncle, Karen’s just hit the Icy Path, she’ll be here soon,” he said, grinning brightly. “She’d like to challenge you, Sar. And so…” he arched an eyebrow curiously at her. “…would Bruno.”

“ _Is it worth it, doll?_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was actually hilarious how easy it was to beat Will. Koga was pretty simple too, aside from his Muk. I’m pretty sure the time it took you to read this chapter was longer than those battles.


	57. Chapter 57

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 21 
> 
> Deaths: 5

Saylee’s heart was pounding as she faced Bruno again the next day. Her eyes flickered to a point some distance behind and above Bruno where, on the edge of one of the outcrops on the cliffs around them, stood Will and Koga with a young woman who smiled slyly at Saylee and tossed her extremely long, silvery hair when noticed. She was dressed much more brightly than either of them in a white jacket and jeans and a yellow tube top. Silver sat on a rock behind Saylee with Mag at his shoulder, making faces at Bruno, who was as stoic and intimidatingly large as Saylee remembered.

 _I didn’t feel truly afraid back then, back in those caves, because I was with my Pokémon,_ she remembered. _Not until his Machamp killed Pedro…_

“So, we battle again!” Bruno boomed. “No need for words now. Oscar!”

Saylee recognized the huge Onix that Bruno released by the scars that lined the stone titan’s body as a result of being attacked by Chaz’s Steel Wing.

The sight calmed her a little. The first battle, at least, would be easy. “Gabriel, Waterfall!” She ordered.

Gabriel grinned happily. He loved Waterfall. Then he roared and charged Oscar, blasting it into the air with a powerful surge of water that then slammed it straight back into the ground.

“Brilliant, Gabriel!” Saylee said happily.

“Little more than a repeat of our previous battle,” Bruno said flippantly, returning Oscar. “Hiro!”

“Oi, he’s got a mug like your da!” Mary said as Bruno’s Hitmonchan appeared, raising his fists. Tobias nodded.

“They’re the same species,” Saylee said. “Peggy?”

“Of course,” Peggy said, spreading her wings showily before shooting towards Hiro.

“Thunderpunch!” Bruno ordered.

“Wing Attack!” Saylee called.

“Tsk, _far_ too slow,” Peggy said, cuffing Hiro in the face with a wing before he could raise a fist, hard enough to send him crashing to the ground near Bruno and then bouncing and rolling until he hit the cliff wall. Hiro didn’t get up, clearly unconscious.

“Not unexpected,” Bruno said, returning Hiro. “Hito!” A Hitmonlee took Hiro’s place. “Hi Jump Kick!”

“Whoops,” Peggy laughed, dodging nimbly as Hito tried to land a powerful kick on her. He had kicked with too much force to stop and land properly and wound up smashing himself into the ground. “Oh dear, what a terrible fail. Here, let me fix that for you.” She shot down towards Hito and slammed him hard with her wings when he tried to get up again. “There you go!”

“Brilliant work!” Saylee cheered. “Are you okay to keep going?”

“I could destroy these numbskulls all _day_ ,” Peggy said, ruffling her crest proudly. “Have you anything else?”

“Hino!” Bruno called, returning his insentient Hitmonlee and releasing an odd-looking Pokémon. He had a brown body and beady black eyes similar to Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee, but he had a tail with a bulbous blue tip and all of his limbs were spindly. His feet were wide and flat, but he didn’t stand on them; instead, he flipped to balance on a point on top of his head. Saylee clicked open her Pokédex.

“Peggy, you won’t be able to knock this guy off-balance,” she warned. “He’s a Hitmontop. They have some of the best balance in the world.”

“There’s more than one way to catch a Caterpie, I say,” Peggy said, circling above Hino, who was spinning gently.

“Start with a Wing Attack!” Saylee yelled. Peggy went into a sharp nosedive.

“Counter!” Bruno ordered. Just as Peggy struck, Hino spun, deflecting her and sending her crashing into a boulder.

“Hey! Watch it!” Silver yelled, suddenly looking less confident with his choice of perch as the boulder that Peggy hit cracked. “That could’ve been us!”

“Peggy!” Saylee cried, relaxing a little when she saw her Pidgeot flick out her wings and get back into the air, albeit unsteadily. “Don’t get near it! Try Twister instead!”

“Sure!” Peggy got up again and began to circle Hino once more, flying faster and faster, powerful wings beating the air so hard that it was sucked into a tornado around Hino. Bruno tried to direct Hino to Triple Kick Peggy, but the twister had already taken the Hitmontop’s spin out of his control, and soon he was pulled from the ground by the wind and sent yelling and spinning through the air. “Now?”

“Now!” Saylee agreed. Peggy shot towards Hino and knocked him out of the air.

“Hmph. This Pidgeot is both as strong and as cocky as the one you had before,” Bruno observed. “Will she die like her predecessor, do you think?” He returned Hino. “What do you think, Mark?” He released his Machamp.

Saylee’s chest constricted so tightly that she couldn’t breathe as she took in the grey musclebound Pokémon who was pounding all four fists together as he leered at Peggy. She reached for Peggy’s pokéball. _It was him, he killed Pedro…_

“Excuse _me,_ ” Peggy crowed sharply, “but just _who_ do you think I am?” She shot towards Mark, who raised all four arms as she drew near. Peggy didn’t even try to dodge. Instead, she flew into him so hard that he was knocked backwards off of his feet and sent skidding across the ground.

Saylee let out a happy shriek as her team started cheering. Mark lay still and didn’t get up, knocked out with a single furious blow.

Peggy kept going, flying over Mark without a backwards glance, and raised her talons, grabbing Bruno and pinning him forcefully to the boulder behind him.

“Peggy!” Saylee called warningly.

“Listen up, _little_ human,” Peggy said, peering down at the startled warrior. “I am nobody’s replacement, I am nobody’s copy, and I am nobody’s victim. I am a stone-cold _badass_ , and I do not approve of destabilizing opponents by bringing up their dead friends, do you understand?”

“…I yield,” Bruno said, raising his hands as much as he could with the powerful talons of a two-metre bird of prey gripping his shoulders and upper arms. Peggy let him go and flew away, “accidentally” whapping him across the face with the end of her long crest as she went.

“You are _brilliant,_ Peggy!” Saylee cried, hugging her as tightly as she could with one arm when Peggy flew back to them.

“Absolutely fabulous!” Steve yelled, running up and wrapping himself around her neck in a big hug. “See, you guys? See how badass we are?”

“I didn’t see _you_ do anything,” Peggy said, leaning her head to one side to hug him back. She looked up sharply at a rapid clapping noise.

“I’ve never seen Bruno go down _that_ easily!” the woman with Koga and Will called. She lightly slipped down the cliffside and onto the ground. Her shadow trailed sluggishly behind her before returning to its place under her feet. “Ooh, me next? Please? _Please_?”

“She has already defeated us, so who else?” Koga asked, raising an eyebrow at her. The woman tossed her hair and grinned.

“Oh, I can’t _wait_ to fight the little girl who could beat you two, Uncle,” she said, waggling her fingers at Will and Koga before turning her attention back to Saylee. “So you’re Saylee, hmm? How amusing.”

“I am,” Saylee said, looking around at her Pokémon. They nodded.

“’Mon, Lee, let’s have a go,” Mary said ferociously.

“Aye, you weren’t even needin’ us afore!” Chip agreed, grinning at Peggy.

“I am Karen,” the woman announced herself formally. “I love Dark-type Pokémon. I'm known for my overpowering tactics. Think you can take them?”

“Well, _duh_!” Steve shouted. “Bring it _on_!”

Karen smiled. “Just try to entertain me,” she said, doing that Fuchsia secret technique of flicking her wrist and producing a pokéball from nowhere, which was especially impressive given that her jacket had short sleeves. “Let’s go.”

Saylee motioned Chip forwards. She wasn’t familiar with many dark-types, but the only ones she’d fought before—predominantly Siren—had been easily taken down by her Typhlosion.

“Let’s start out strong, shall we?” Karen said with a predatory grin. “Hah! As if women like us have anything else to offer…” her shadow boiled under her feet as she threw the pokéball high into the air. “Dark Pulse, Ushashi!”

Saylee immediately recognized the Pokémon that materialized in the air as Umbreon. The wave of black energy it produced was familiar too. Chip winced, but he knew what Dark Pulse was like and had braced himself for it. He was still standing after the attack hit.

“You know what to do, Chip! Rock Smash!” Saylee called. Chip charged forwards as Ushashi landed lightly on the ground and smashed his fists into her, crushing her to the ground with so much force that she wound up in the centre of a crater. Ushashi groaned and tried to struggle to her paws, before giving up and collapsing feebly.

“So you’ve fought an Umbreon before?” Karen asked, arching an eyebrow as she returned Ushashi. “How unusual. They are rather rare. As is Huelo here!”

“Chip, switch with Gabriel!” Saylee shouted sharply as the new Pokémon materialized. She recognized the smell of hellfire before it had even finished forming. “Sorry, but we’ve fought Houndoom before too, so we know what to do. Waterfall!”

“Crunch!” Karen ordered.

“Waterfall!” Gabriel roared happily, blasting water towards Huelo as she darted forwards, fangs bared. She yelped and steamed as Gabriel knocked her high into the air.

“Brilliant!” Saylee called as Houndoom hit the damp ground. “Well done, Gabriel!”

Gabriel grinned. “Waterfall,” he said proudly.

“You know Houndoom, too?” Karen said, starting to look irritated as she returned Houndoom. “Can’t I surprise you at all? Hadria!”

“Sorry, seen they Murkrow afore too,” Mary called, stepping forwards and glancing at Saylee.

Saylee nodded at her. “Gabriel, come back!” She called, watching the black bird fly up into the sky. It was larger than Ariana’s, with a much larger hatlike crest of black feathers. “Mary, Discharge!”

“Hadria, Sucker Punch!” Karen called. Hadria dived sharply towards Mary as she charged up, striking her hard in the stomach. Mary bent double with a gasp and released a blast of electricity. Hadria shrieked and fell to the ground, twitching.

“Ya dancer!” Mary cheered as Karen returned Hadria.

“Gaun yersel’, Mary!” Tobias called in a rolling imitation of Mary’s accent.

“Well done, Mary!” Saylee said, unable to help smiling at Karen, who was scowling now.

“Valma!” Karen called, releasing her fourth Pokémon. It was a large Vileplume with unusually dark red petals. “Petal Dance! Take them down!”

“Mary, switch! Chip, Flamethrower!” Saylee yelled. Mary nimbly dodged to the side and back, allowing Chip to shoot fire directly at Valma, incinerating the petals that she shot at him. Valma was bowled over with a scream and did not get up.

“Go, Chip!” Steve cheered. “Awesome! Hey, have we won yet?”

“Not yet,” Karen seethed, returning Vevila and producing another pokéball. “Shadow Ball, Galina!” Saylee did a double-take as the grinning Gengar appeared; Karen’s shadow seemed to be shifting around her even though the woman was standing perfectly still.

“Chip, get back! Gabriel, Crunch!” Saylee ordered, reaching out to grab Tobias by the ankle as he instinctively darted forwards at the sight of the ghost.

Gabriel rose up and dived at the Gengar, fangs bared, barely noticing the black orb that splashed off of his thick red scales.

As Gabriel bit down on Galina, Saylee glanced at Karen, wondering what expression was on her face now. She hadn’t expected a cruel smile.

“Gabriel, STOP!” Saylee yelled as Galina turned black. The black glow spread down Gabriel’s entire body. He wailed in pain and crashed to the ground. Galina was gone entirely. “Destiny Bond! NO! GABRIEL!”

Saylee ran towards her fallen Gyarados. Gabriel was shivering and glowing black. Tobias flew past her and settled on Gabriel’s forehead, glowing pink.

“I-I can’t stop it,” he said tremulously. “I can’t stop the curse, Lee—!”

“Please save his soul, at least,” Saylee begged as she knelt next to Gabriel, reaching her hand out to him. “Ssh, ssh… it’ll be okay, Gabriel…” Saylee swallowed the lump in her throat as she stroked his crest and whispered soothingly to him.

“Cold,” he moaned. “Hurts…”

“I-it’ll be okay,” Saylee said, leaning against him. “We’re here…” Gabriel stopped shivering.

“I’ve got them,” Tobias said softly a moment later, his voice shaking badly. Saylee looked up to see… _something_ , like a grey veil or smoke, twisting and writhing in Tobias’ hands. He closed his eyes, and it smoothed out, vanishing, leaving only a little white drop of light.

“Is that…?” Mary gasped.

“It’s so little,” Saylee whispered.

Tobias hugged the droplet of light. “I’ll keep him warm and safe,” he promised quietly, tears rolling down his cheeks. “We can take him back to Lavender… he can meet Miranda…” He started sobbing, and Mary hugged him tightly, crying silently herself. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t save him! I’m so, so s-s-sorry…”

“It’s okay,” Saylee said, taking her hand from Gabriel’s crest and getting up to go pat Tobias on the back. “Carrie couldn’t stop a Destiny Bond, either, only protect the souls of its victims. Thank you, Toby…” She looked around sharply as Will walked up to her.

“Karen’s in real trouble now,” he commented, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he added sincerely.

“Yer ay right she’s in trouble noo,” Mary growled, looking over Tobias’ head at the woman in question, who was scowling darkly while Koga talked quietly and tersely to her. He was wearing a fierce scowl of his own.

“You do know how the dark type got its name?” Will said mildly, looking over at them and then back to Saylee. “Dark powers can be dangerous and corrupting, outright devastating when misused. There are very few who can handle a full team of dark types. Karen is exceptionally talented but even she only has three. Did you see her shadow during the battle? Her will is still lacking somewhat, as is her control of her emotions.” He shook his head, sighing but smiling. “I guess you could say she’s too passionate.”

“You… you don’t think we pissed her off by whupping her that easily, do you?” Steve said tremulously. He and Peggy were huddled together, trying not to cry, while Chip prowled in the space between his friends and Karen, mane flickering angrily.

Will shook his head. “She should not have allowed herself to be provoked,” he said firmly, looking over at Karen. “She knows full well that Destiny Bond is highly forbidden. Ah, here she comes now.” He stepped back to allow Karen to speak to Saylee.

“I need to apologize,” Karen said stiffly, starting towards Saylee but stopping when Chip growled sharply at her. “This was to be a sporting test of strength, not a deathmatch. I should not have used Destiny Bond. I am sorry.”

“What use is that?” Silver asked as Mag lowered him to the ground. “It’s pretty weak, pulling a suicide move like that just ‘cause you’re _losing._ ”

“There are no strong or weak Pokémon,” Karen said scornfully. “That is only a selfish perception of humans.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t say your _Pokémon_ are weak, I said _you_ are,” Silver pointed out.

Koga clapped Karen on the shoulder. “You see, niece, even the child perceives that you have much training to do,” he said sternly.

“Yes, uncle,” Karen sighed. Koga bowed his head respectfully to Saylee and then dragged Karen away again.

“Well done on not calling her a dumb bitch,” Saylee said to Silver, trying to smile a little at him.

He shrugged. “She _is_ ,” he grumbled. “What was the point? Her Gengar’s gone, and she still _lost_.” He scuffed his feet a little, then said, “It sucks that she killed Gabriel. He wasn’t weak.”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, patting his shoulder.

“Can I have Alec to help me teleport Gabriel’s body to the Lake of Rage?” Tobias asked tremulously. “I’m not good at teleporting stuff.” Silver silently released his Alakazam, who peered thoughtfully at Gabriel’s body, surmising the situation quickly.

“This one has never teleported such a distance,” Alec said, twirling his spoons, “but for the sake of a Gyarados, this one agrees it must be done. Does a boy agree?”

“Sure,” Silver said with a shrug. Alec teleported over next to Tobias and Gabriel, raised his spoons, and the three of them vanished. “What do you want?” he asked, glaring at Will, who had stepped towards Saylee again.

“We shall take our leave now,” he said, bowing. To Saylee’s surprise, he picked up her hand and kissed it. “Farewell. I wish you good fortune in your battle with Lance.” He turned and walked after Koga, Karen and Bruno, who had already started down the path back to Blackthorn.

“If you see Lance,” Saylee called after him, “tell him we’ll fight him soon.”

“We will,” Bruno called back.

Saylee’s Pokémon surrounded her as soon as the four of them were out of sight.

“Are we bein’ ready for this, Lee?” Chip asked nervously. “You were sayin’ him’s proper strong…”

“Aye, yer cast’s only comin’ aff the week,” Mary said, nodding at Saylee’s left arm in its sling.

“That’s why I think next week is a good idea,” Saylee said firmly, flexing her fingers.

“Bring it on!” Steve cheered, hopping onto Saylee’s good shoulder. “Gabe’s death was a horrible, freak, unpreventable accident! He was tough as diamonds and so are we!”

“We will win for Gabriel,” Peggy declared. “We shall not lose.”

“Too right we willnae!” Mary roared. “Let’s _dae_ this fucker!”

“Do what to who now?” Tobias said, reappearing with Alec. “We had to take it in two jumps, but we got him home,” he promised Saylee, flying over with something red in his hands. “Here. This floated up when we put him in the water. Maybe he wanted you to have it?”

Saylee picked up the surprisingly light object and turned it over. It was a flat, thick, vivid red scale the size of a plate.

“Thank you,” she said softly, hugging the scale to her chest and finally starting to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP Gabriel the Gyarados, level 30-50
> 
> Aside from that Destiny Bond, I really did sweep the League with no trouble. And then there’s this asshole…


	58. Chapter 58

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 20 
> 
> Deaths: 6

“How does that thing work?”

Saylee looked up. With the cast finally off her left arm, she was remaking her dreamcatcher. With the point of her utility knife, she’d drilled several small holes in Gabriel’s scale and was in the middle of threading string through one to tie on Alan’s spoon. After three weeks without the use of her left arm, it felt shaky and weak.

Silver was standing in the door, staring at the dreamcatcher curiously.

“I don’t really know,” she confessed. “I guess some of Daisy and Alan’s power stays in the items they left behind…” she finished tying off the spoon and picked up Daisy’s coin. “Hypno eat and manipulate dreams, so I guess Daisy would be better suited than anyone to ward off nightmares… I don’t know.”

“It stopped me having nightmares,” Silver said, sitting on his bed and staring at the dreamcatcher. “They didn’t even _know_ me.”

Saylee smiled. “Perhaps they know that I don’t want you to have nightmares either,” she suggested.

“I still don’t get it,” Silver muttered, hugging his knees. “Why you keep wasting your time on me like this. Just ‘cause we’re related—”

“Silver, I didn’t suddenly start giving a crap about you the split second I found out that we share a dad,” Saylee interrupted him. “Frankly, it’s something I try not to think too hard about, and anyway if you’ll remember I went into the Lake of Rage to rescue you before I knew any of that. You and I both know that people might tolerate each other because they’re related—I can tell that Auntie Debbie and Uncle Graeme wish they didn’t have to put up with us much…”

“They’re mean assholes,” Silver grumbled. “D’you know they think you’re some kind of mad savage just ‘cause you walk lots instead of just teleporting from town to town?”

“I didn’t even know that was a thing until a couple of months ago,” Saylee said indignantly, “and anyway I was looking for… never mind. Anyway, look at your parents. People don’t always care out of nowhere just because they’re related.”

“You’re nothing like mum and dad,” Silver muttered.

“Thank you,” Saylee said with a smile. “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. The point is… okay, I feel a _little_ more obligated to look after you because you’re my little brother, but mainly it’s because I genuinely don’t believe that I’m wasting my time. I think you’re a good kid deep down, Silver, and I’m not the only one.” She nodded to the window behind Silver. He turned and peered out.

There was a distant red glow on the hillside that might have been taken for fire if it wasn’t for the fact that all fires in Blackthorn were lit by blue dragonfire.

“Entei?” Silver whispered in surprise.

“They think you have a lot of potential too,” Saylee said quietly. “Please don’t go all contrary and try to prove us wrong.”

For once, Silver didn’t snap back. He just curled up even tighter and mumbled, “Did you mean it when you said you were proud of me? I’m not just trouble or a bad kid or anything?”

“Yes, Silver, I meant it, and no, I don’t think you’re just a bad kid,” Saylee said, sitting down on his bed next to him and putting her arm around his shoulders. “As for trouble? I can’t comment, I’ve regularly been called that myself.”

“Thanks,” Silver said, uncurling and hugging Saylee back.

{}

“I’m not as fond of lava as Clair is,” Lance commented, limping out of the tunnel back into the deeper mountain. The acoustics of the hall were such that his voice reached Saylee easily even without Lance having to raise his voice. “I much prefer underground rivers like this. I have to admit, after so long under the mountains, I find it comforting to have fresh water around.”

Saylee looked around the hall. It was smaller than Clair’s battle hall, but much higher, the ceiling fading into the gloom above in a way that reminded Saylee of her previous battle with Lance in a claustrophobic pit under the Indigo Plateau. A deep, clear river weaved through the middle of the battlefield, the occasional Magikarp swimming along it.

Behind Lance, high in the wall, was a viewing gallery filled with Blackthorn citizens, Clair foremost among them. Glancing over her shoulder, Saylee saw a similar gallery behind her. There were a fair number of Blackthorn citizens there as well, likely due to overcrowding in Lance’s viewing gallery. She was heartened to see Silver at the front, leaning on the railing with Siren sitting next to him on the railing and Mag hovering over his shoulder.

“So, shall we?” Lance said with a grin, flourishing his black-and-crimson cape.

“Lance, I challenge you,” Saylee declared formally, pushing aside her blue cape to draw her first pokéball. She and Lance released their first Pokémon at the same moment.

Saylee grinned. She had predicted Lance perfectly. Mary was facing down Lance’s Gyarados. The sight of the huge Pokémon gave her a tinge of pain as she remembered the two of her own that she’d lost, but she’d prepared herself for that and pushed it back so she could focus on the battle in front of her. “Mary, Discharge!” she ordered.

Mary struck first, and she struck fast. The Gyarados roared and flailed as Mary zapped him with all of the electricity she could charge up. Lance returned his Gyarados as it collapsed.

“Oh dear, am I predictable?” Lance sighed, releasing a small, scarred Dragonite that Saylee recognized as Draek, the Dragonite that had evolved in Mahogany Town. Lance climbed up onto Draek’s back and the pair took to the air. Saylee returned Mary and released Peggy in response.

“It’s go time,” she told Peggy, climbing onto her back and quickly strapping herself into the flying harness, fumbling momentarily with her left arm. “Twister!”

“Dragon Rage!” Lance ordered. Peggy narrowly dodged the blast of blue fire as she flew into the air. Draek fired at her repeatedly, but Peggy dodged and looped, building up a huge twister that begin to twist and buffet the dragon back and forth.

“Go easy on him,” Saylee muttered.

“Oh dear, as if I need to go hard?” Peggy crooned, flicking her wings sharply to create vicious crosswinds. Draek was caught between them and was knocked out of the air.

“Well done!” Saylee said, taking the time to spray healing potions over the various burns on Peggy’s body from close brushes with Dragon Rage. “Keep it going!”

Lance rose up on the back of a larger, stronger-looking Dragonite. It wasn’t much larger than Draek and notably unscarred, so it had to be Dragoslav, whom Saylee had last seen as a Dragonair; she and Lance had discussed their battle and their Pokémon all of once, and the Dragonite that he had back then, Damien, apparently still bore scars from Chaz’s claws. Dragoslav fired a powerful blast of ice at Peggy, who dodged around the raging twister. Dragoslav made the mistake of firing into the swirling winds and wound up on the receiving end of his own ice as the twister distorted the path of the blizzard, causing it to slingshot back towards the unfortunate Dragonite. Dragoslav fell howling from the air. Seeing the power of the hit, Saylee was very, very grateful that it hadn’t connected with Peggy. Peggy, for her part, simply struck the fallen Dragonite with further blasts from the Twister until he fell unconscious.

“Two for two!” Peggy crowed.

“How are you feeling, Peggy?” Saylee asked, leaning forwards against the great bird’s neck so that Peggy could better hear her over the wind.

“I feel absolutely fine,” Peggy insisted, flying around the twister to keep it going. “Don’t worry ab—AAAAAHHH!”

Saylee’s vision blanked out and all she could hear over the sudden ringing in her ears was Peggy screeching in pain as she twitched and spasmed beneath Saylee. Saylee’s own muscles felt out of her control.

 _Thunder_ , Saylee realized dizzily. Then they were falling.

“P… Peggy!” she managed to yell through numb lips just before they hit the river. Saylee shrieked and clung to Peggy just as they sank into the water, before desperately thrashing her arms to pull herself back to the surface without being trapped beneath Peggy.

Peggy wasn’t a strong swimmer, but they managed to break the surface, gasping for air. The dragon clan was cheering as Lance and his third Dragonite loomed over them. It was definitely Damien; scars the shape of Chaz’s claws raked his sides and back.

“Now Outrage,” she heard Lance command. Damien roared and snatched Peggy out of the water, punching her across the hall. Saylee clung desperately to Peggy’s back as they went spinning through the air.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Peggy yelled, flapping her wings out and steering herself away from the wall. Water sprayed everywhere as Peggy shook out her wings. “Thank you for helping me get out of the water and into the air…”

Saylee shivered in the wind; the twister was dying down, but light winds were still swirling around the room. “Peggy, are you _okay_?!” she yelled, grasping for her sodden bag.

“He won’t fry me twice!” Peggy screeched, dodging another outraged attack from Damien. Saylee sprayed hyper potion over Peggy’s wings as she whipped up another twister.

“Wait for the right moment,” Saylee told Peggy. “Outrage is exhausting. He’ll fall into fatigue soon enough…”

“Right-o,” Peggy said, looping around Damien and Lance. The huge dragon attacked Peggy again and staggered when he missed, crashing into the wall.

“Now!” Saylee yelled. Peggy flapped up a storm and sent it straight at Damien, smashing him hard into the wall again as he tried to push away.

Damien pushed away from the wall again and stomped towards Peggy.

“He’s still _standing_?!” Peggy gasped. The Dragon Clan started cheering.

Damien stepped into the river and tripped on the deep riverbed. Lance yelled. Peggy dived sharply.

“Aerial Ace’ll finish him!” Saylee called.

“My thoughts exactly,” Peggy agreed, striking Damien hard with beak, wings and talons. Saylee saw Lance roll off of Damien’s back, crawl over to check on his Dragonite, and then return him.

“Well done, Peggy!” Saylee cried. “Land; it’s time for you to take a break.”

“Awful good of you,” Peggy sighed, swooping back down to the ground. Saylee clambered down off of her back, hugged her, and returned her.

The Dragon clan members were muttering to each other. Silver, however, was laughing uproariously.

“You’ve got three _Dragonite_ and you lost to a _Pidgeot_?!” he hooted. “Man, you’re _weak_!”

 _Ate up a load of my healing supplies, though,_ Saylee though, counting the pins on her bag strap to make sure they were all still there. _Still, if I remember right, he’s got one more left and it’s…_

“Aaron!” Lance called, releasing, as Saylee recalled, his ancient grey Aerodactyl.

 _He killed Lorenzo,_ Saylee thought, reaching for a new pokéball. _But I can’t be afraid. I know what he can do now, but he has no idea what we’re capable of now. I don’t have to fear now what has hurt me before._

“Steve!” she called, releasing her Furret. “Surf!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Steve said, zipping forwards. The water in the river reared up and slammed into Aaron, knocking him out of the air. He retained consciousness, battling out of the wave and flying into the air, but Saylee had expected that.

 _It was an attack like this that killed Lorenzo. But Steve isn’t Lorenzo, any more than Peggy is Pedro._ “You can evade it!” Saylee yelled as Aaron brought a deluge of boulders tumbling down.

“You know it!” Steve responded, nimbly zipping between the falling stone, dodging easily around the crashing boulders.

“Dammit, stay _still_!” Aaron snarled, sending more stones flying at Steve.

“Make me,” Steve shot back, leaping backwards and then jumping over the boulder that crashed down in front of him.

“Surf again, Steve!” Saylee called.

“Aye aye!” Steve responded. Again the waters of the river rose, and again they struck Aaron against the wall. Lance scrambled aside as his Aerodactyl nearly crashed onto his head. “Watch out!”

“Brilliant!” Saylee cheered ecstatically as Lance returned his unconscious Aerodactyl. “Well done, Steve, very well done!”

“You think I’m done, do you?” Lance asked, a grin jerking across his face as he produced a sixth pokéball. It was faded and scratched and Saylee had never seen him with it before. “You’re not the only one who’s full of surprises. Y’know the old labs already had genetic data for a lot of different Pokémon? We tested some genetic manipulation and egg production already, and the results are very impressive!” He flung the pokéball into the air and a Charizard appeared.

Saylee gasped. She’d never seen a living Charizard aside from her own Chaz and Red’s Chris before. Lance’s Charizard wasn’t as large or powerful-looking as either of them, but it was still an intimidating sight as it spread its wings, swished its flaming tail, and advanced.

“Steve!” Saylee called sharply. “Surf will get him, but whatever you do don’t hit his tail!”

“You must know better than to think that’ll be enough,” Lance said with a smirk as the waters rose for a third time. “Coulson, Wing Attack!”

Coulson flew forwards, swinging his wing over his face to split the brunt of the wave. It pushed him back, but as Lance had predicted and Saylee had expected, did not take him out.

“Fire Blast!” Lance ordered.

“STEVE!” Saylee screamed as the huge blast of flame struck him. Steve howled in pain, falling back in a wave of steam. Saylee immediately returned him. It worked; he wasn’t fatally injured. _The steam… his fur must have gotten wet as he was using Surf. That might’ve protected him_.

“Are you forfeiting?” Coulson laughed.

“Are you kidding?” Saylee asked, snatching up Mary’s pokéball. “Unlike you, Lance, I still have Pokémon left. We never laid down a rule against switchouts. MARY! DISCHARGE!”

“Aight then!” Mary growled, sparking with electricity the moment she appeared.

Coulson spread his wings, clearly intending to evade, but it was no use with the largely directionless Discharge. His damp wings just acted as a lightningrod, drawing the electricity to him and electrocuting him badly. Saylee winced as he crashed to the ground.

“Got any more hidden surprises?” Saylee asked, watching Lance return Coulson.

“No,” Lance said, shaking his head. “Coulson did very well for his first battle against trained Pokémon. I don’t know what sort of Charizard his DNA came from, but I think the Charmander that were made from your Chaz’s genetic code will be very impressive indeed.” He went to one knee, right hand pressed over his heart. “I yield this match to you, Sar. The Dragon Clan is at your disposal.”

“Find my brother,” Saylee said. “That’s all I ask. You know the mountains better than anyone. Please just find Red.”

“It shall be done,” Lance swore. Behind him, other members of the Dragon clan had also dropped to one knee.

“Oi,” Silver said, teleporting down with Alec as Saylee hugged Mary. Mag floated down with Siren clinging to his back. “Did you just take over a clan to find your brother?”

“Not a _whole_ clan, I’ve never battled any of the Masters,” Saylee corrected him. “And if you run off again, I’m sending them after you.”

“I’m not going anywhere, ceez,” Silver grumbled.

“Good to hear,” Saylee said with a smile, returning Mary. “C’mon. Let’s go heal Steve and Peggy. They must be tired.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peggy genuinely wiped all three of Lance’s Dragonite by herself. Stone-cold badass indeed. I love that bird.


	59. Chapter 59

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 22 
> 
> Deaths: 6

“Ceez, I’m gonna miss having you around,” Lucy said, giving Saylee a big hug and then turning to Silver with arms spread wide. Silver turned away, pointedly ignoring her, and then squawked indignantly as she swept him up in a big hug from behind.

“Let me go, you psychopath!” he yelled.

“Fine, but you _will_ hug Granny goodbye or else,” Lucy said warningly.

“Of course he will,” Helen said warmly, hugging Saylee. “You must bring your mother and your older brother back here sometime, dear. And that cute young man of yours too!” She winked at Saylee and turned to hug Silver. Saylee couldn’t help feeling proud when he didn’t put up any resistance, just stood there awkwardly with an expression clearly saying that he couldn’t wait for it to be over.

“Mag, I’m going to hug you, so don’t you dare zap me!” Lucy said, rounding on the nervous-looking Magneton and giving it a friendly hug.

“I’m glad we got to meet,” Arthur said, shaking Saylee and Silver’s hands in turn. “You are welcome back at any time, and never be afraid to call on us. I know that life in Kanto cannot be easy.”

“No,” Saylee agreed. “I hope we’ll be back soon. I think Mum would really like it here. I think Red will too, when I find him.”

“You’re not gonna do that standing around here _talking_ ,” Silver complained. “If we’re going, can we _go_ already? I hate long mushy goodbyes.”

“Fine,” Saylee laughed, taking his hand and stepping out of the door. “Let’s get to the travel centre, then. Goodbye, everyone!”

“See you!” Lucy called. Saylee and Silver waved to their family, and then left for Olivine.

{}

“Lyra!”

“Marina?” Saylee said in surprise, stopping in front of the Olivine supermarket and looking down at the Azumarill that barrelled into her legs and hugged her. “How are you? How’s Ethan?”

“Better,” Marina said, though her ears drooped. “He has nightmares, though. But he’s getting the hang of it. He kinda causes storms when he has nightmares, but they’re getting better. C’mon!” She grabbed Saylee’s hand and tugged her towards the clinic. “You can’t leave without saying goodbye!”

“Who’s Ethan and why should we care?” Silver complained. “Wait, he’s that dumb kid that’s Lugia now, right?”

“Hush,” Saylee said, following Marina. “She’s right, I ought to at least say goodbye. I haven’t been to visit him.”

“Wimp,” Silver huffed. “If it’s your stupid fault he’s in hospital, you can at least go see if he’s okay.”

Saylee stiffened, and then sighed. “You’re right. Are you coming along, or do you want to wait here?”

“You’re not leaving me behind!” Silver yelled, running after her with Mag clinging to his shoulders.

Ethan’s new ground-floor room in the hospital was easy to spot. Staryu had climbed up the walls around the window, and Seel, Poliwag and Krabby were clustered around it. “Move aside, make way!” Marina called as they pushed up to the window.

“We could go through the _door_ , like, y’know, _human beings_ ,” Silver complained.

“We’re not staying for long,” Saylee promised. The water-types shuffled away from the window enough that Saylee could see that Ethan was sitting on his bed, leaning out and chatting to the Pokémon. “Lyra!” he said excitedly when he spotted her.

“Her name’s not Lyra,” Silver pointed out.

“I know, but it’s what I call her, so, I dunno, it’s a nickname now,” Ethan said with a shrug. “Hi, I’m Ethan. Who’re you?”

“Ethan, this is my brother Silver,” Saylee introduced them.

“Half-brother,” Silver grumbled.

“Nice to meet you, Silver,” Ethan said with a grin, before frowning somewhat as he tried to remember where he’d seen Silver before. “Anyway, so is it true you’re going back to Kanto?”

“Yes, we are,” Saylee said with a nod. “We’ll come back and visit, though. Do you think you’ll be okay?”

“Uh-huh!” Ethan said brightly. He had dark circles under his eyes, but he had the same grin as always. “I get bad nightmares, but I don’t seem to need to sleep much anyway. I get to sit up all the time chatting to everyone, and they’re telling me all sort of cool stuff I can do with my power!”

“Lord Ethan will be fine,” one of the Seel said calmly. “His power is somewhat excessive for a human body, but he is learning control.”

“Yeah, people keep asking me if I feel weak or tired,” Ethan said, running a hand slowly through his hair, “but actually it feels like if I move too fast I’m gonna rip my own arm off. I’ll be fine, though. When I can move around on my own, Mum and Dad’ll take me home, and then I’m gonna go learn meditation with the Sprout Tower monks, they said. So I don’t get Lugia’s temper.”

“Fair enough,” Saylee said with a smile. “I’m glad you’re feeling alright.”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me!” Ethan insisted, grinning. “I bet you’ve gotta run for your boat, anyway. Oh, hey, say hi to your Pokémon for me, okay? ‘Specially Gabriel. He’s awesome.”

“Yes, he was,” Saylee agreed softly.

“He’s dead,” Silver interjected.

“Silver!” Mag admonished his trainer. “You’re making your sister sad. We were supposed to work on you _not_ doing that, right?”

“Shut up, Mag,” Silver growled.

“I’ll be fine,” Saylee said firmly. “We lost Gabriel, Ethan, it’s true.”

“I’m sorry,” Ethan said sadly. “Oh! Hey! Shuuya!” he called. One of the larger Seel looked up.

“Yes, milord?” Shuuya said attentively.

“Can you go with Lyra and protect her?” Ethan asked.

“Oh, no, Shuuya, you don’t—” Saylee began.

“Please, Lyra?” Ethan begged. “You protected me in the Whirl Islands, so lemme pay you back. Shuuya’s really tough, I know he can protect you. Please?”

“It’s no trouble, milady,” Shuuya said, bowing his head. “I’d be glad to. And I’ve never been to Kanto before; the waters are too foul to swim through. I’ll admit to some curiosity as to what it’s like.”

“Don’t we need to go soon?” Mag asked. Saylee looked at her pokégear clock.

“If you really want to come, Shuuya, we’re happy to have you,” Saylee said, holding out a pokéball. Shuuya tapped his horn against it and vanished. “Ethan, I’m glad you’re feeling better, but I really have to go. There’s something I need to do before the ferry leaves.” She turned to leave, then paused and turned back, digging in her bag. “Ethan? If you’re the sea god now… do you think you could bless Georgia for me?” she held out the sealed bottle of sand. “We lost her too, and, well… I’d like to bury her at sea.”

“Bless it?” Ethan said, staring at the bottle. “Uh… how do I do that?”

“You’re the god here, you tell me,” Saylee said with an encouraging smile.

“Um… rest in peace, reunite with loved ones, be happy,” Ethan said, patting the bottle. “That good?”

“That’s very good, Ethan,” Saylee said, holding the bottle up to the light. It had a faint silver sheen. “Thank you very, very much.”

{}

“Alright, guys, time to say goodbye to Georgia,” Saylee said, releasing her Pokémon on a partially rebuilt dock. “This is where we buried Wendy,” she explained to Peggy and Steve. “She was a Beedrill, and she and Georgia were very close,” she added to Shuuya.

“Milord has blessed her to reunite with loved ones,” Shuuya said, bowing his head.

“G’bye, Georgia,” Chip said, bowing his head to the bottle. “I’m glad you were getting’ into the light.”

“Aye, be seein’ you, Georgie,” Mary said, also bowing her head. Tobias gave her a hug.

“Be at peace, Georgia,” he said softly.

“You were awesome, Georgia,” Steve declared. “Well hard. Nearly as hard as they come.” He leaned against Peggy, who bowed her head sadly.

“Goodbye, Georgia,” she said, nuzzling Steve’s neck. “We’ll miss you.”

“You didn’t suck,” Silver declared. “Go put her with Wendy already, willya?”

“Goodbye, Georgia,” Saylee said, giving the bottle a last hug before dropping it into the water and watching it sink.

“So, who’re you?” Steve asked, turning to Shuuya.

“Shuuya, this is Chip, Tobias, Mary, Steve and Peggy,” Saylee said, indicating her Pokémon in turn. “Everyone, this is Shuuya. He’ll be coming with us to Kanto. We’ll get to know each other better there, but for now, we’ve got a boat to catch, so back in the balls, okay?”

“ _Finally_!” Silver complained, rolling his eyes. “Come _on_!”

“Pokémon aren’t allowed out on this ship, Silver,” Saylee added as she returned her Pokémon and surreptitiously wiped her eyes. “Why don’t you put Mag away?”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Silver said, unzipping his baggy jacket. “C’mon, Mag, get hidden, you can stay in the room or something. What’re they gonna do when we’re already at sea?”

{}

“Do you have any luggage, Sar Kanto?” a boy of about sixteen in a red suit asked Saylee as they walked up the gangplank and into the ship.

“Just this,” Saylee said, hefting her bag on her shoulder. “I’ve got it.”

“Very well, Sar. This way to your room.” The bellboy bowed and led them down the corridor to the door at the very end. “When the Captain saw your name on the passenger list, he reserved the master suite for you. Only the best for a knight of the realm, of course!”

“Guess that uppity crap’s good for _something_ ,” Silver snarked. Even his jaw dropped when they walked into the room, however.

It was large and gorgeous. One whole wall was duraglass, with a stunning view of the sea visible through it. A long, plush blue couch faced the glass, and outside of it Saylee could see a balcony with two chairs, a table and a hammock.

The walls were a soft cream colour and paintings of old-fashioned ships were hung on them. Two dark wooden doors were set into the middle of each wall perpendicular to the entry door. The floor was covered in thick, soft, royal blue carpet.

“There are two bedrooms,” the bellboy explained, opening the doors. “Maid service will come to this suite between twelve and one every day, so please vacate the room and enjoy the rest of the ship during that time. Each bedroom has a double bed, a wardrobe, a bedside table and an ensuite bathroom with a jacuzzi bath and shower. This wall…” he flipped open the arm of the sofa, revealed a touchpad covered in buttons, and pressed one. The duraglass darkened and then began showing a football match taking place somewhere in Sinnoh. “There’s also a film archive and a music library for you to take your pick from. Pressing this button…” he scrolled up the touchpad and pressed a large button at the top. Either side of the screen, the glass split and doors that had previously been invisible swung open.

“ _Cool_ ,” Silver breathed, wandering over to a side table set behind the sofa. There was a bowl of berries on it. He picked one up and nibbled at it to see if it was real, then popped it into his mouth with a grin when he found that it was.

“We have a wonderful café/restaurant downstairs, but should you wish to dine in your room you can call room service using this,” the bellboy said, returning to the entry door and gesturing to an intercom set next to it. “You can call room service for absolutely anything at all—food, sea sickness, any other supplies or assistance that you need. I will be your server and will answer any calls at all. My name’s Ken.” He bowed again.

“Nice to meet you, Ken,” Saylee said, shaking his hand. Ken looked surprised, but grinned. “We’ll get settled in…”

“Very well. Just press the button if you need anything,” Ken said, leaving the suite. The door locked automatically behind him.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to shake servants’ hands, idiot,” Silver said, eating berries and scrolling through the TV channels. He pulled up the bottom of his jumper to let Mag out and the Magneton started floating curiously around the room.

“Switch that off, and let’s go onto the balcony to watch us cast off,” Saylee said, walking towards the still-open doors. The sun was setting and the breeze that wafted across the balcony was slightly cool, not freezing cold. The sea looked gorgeous tinted orange.

“Fine,” Silver said, wandering out to the balcony and leaning over it to peer down at the water. Saylee yanked him back sharply. “Oi! I just wanted to see if I could let Tyra out, but we’re too high up!”

“We’re not allowed to let Pokémon out on the ship,” Saylee sighed, tapping the bag containing her own pokéballs regretfully and giving Mag a meaningful look. “I’m afraid I’ll have to do for company.”

“Could be worse, I guess,” Silver grumbled, watching the docks as the ship cast off. Saylee stood next to him, watching the sea as the ship began to move.

“Ready to go back to Kanto?” Saylee asked. Silver just gripped the balcony and watched Johto slowly drift away.

{}

Saylee sat up and reached for her glasses as she heard the _beep_ as her bedroom door opened. “Silver?” she asked, squinting at the darkness.

“D’you have your dreamcatcher in here?” Silver asked quietly. His voice sounded oddly thick and shaky. Saylee switched on her light. Before Silver ducked his head, making his hair cover his face, Saylee saw that his eyes were red and puffy.

“Do you want to tell me what your nightmare was about?” Saylee asked, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. There had been a painting hanging from a hook above her bed. Saylee had taken it down and put her dreamcatcher up. The red scale and various attached items were dangling about six inches above her head.

“No,” Silver said, shuffling her feet. “I just don’t wanna go back to sleep now.”

“You can sleep in here, if you like,” Saylee said, pulling at the huge duvet. “These things are huge. You could fit all of Pallet in here.”

“Fine,” Silver grumbled, like she was forcing him to do something horrible like cut his hair or stop stealing food. He climbed into the far side of the bed from Saylee and pulled the covers up over his head.

“We’re not too far out that Peggy couldn’t fly you back to Mahogany, you know,” Saylee said, looking from the little lump in the duvet to the dreamcatcher.

“Just shut up and turn the light off,” Silver muttered. Saylee did so, gently setting her glasses back on the bedside table again and tucking herself in.

A while later, she heard the kid snoring. She stared up at the faint glow of the dreamcatcher for a while before being slowly lulled back to sleep by the rise and fall of the ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I went back and caught Shuuya because I either forgot about Lugia or decided that he didn’t count… I can’t remember now, it was a year ago XP
> 
> Name: Shuuya. Species: Seel. Nature: Impish. Ability: Thick Fat. Location: Whirl Islands
> 
> Name: Grant. Species: Goldeen. Nature: Serious. Ability: Water Veil. Location: Tohjo Falls. Level: 20
> 
> Name: Patrick. Species: Rapidash. Nature: Timid. Ability: Flash Fire. Location: Route 27. Level: 32


	60. Chapter 60

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 22 
> 
> Deaths: 6

The next morning Silver didn’t say anything, and Saylee didn’t press him. He just muttered a quick, quiet “thanks” before running over to his room to get dressed.

On the way down to the breakfast hall, they were accosted by a man looking for his granddaughter. He was panicked because she’d already left the room when he woke up. Saylee apologized and said that she hadn’t seen her, having only just woken up herself.

“No wonder she ran off while he was sleeping, it’s nearly eleven,” Silver said, watching the old man wander off, asking more people down the hallway if they’d seen a little girl. “They’ll stop serving breakfast and start serving lunch soon. You old people sure sleep a lot.”

“Where has my youth gone?” Saylee sighed, heading for the steps down to the entertainment level. She stumbled a little partway down; the ship was rocking noticeably, throwing her balance off.

The corridors down below were different to the ones on the cabin level; up among the cabins, the corridors were all light blue with plush green carpets and soft lighting. Downstairs, everything was sleek silver and looked very high-tech. Signs on the wall directed them to a sports court, a swimming pool, a souvenir shop and even a battle hall, as well as the café and restaurant. Saylee followed the directions to the restaurant with Silver trailing quietly behind.

“This is unusual,” Saylee said, watching Silver pick idly at his pancakes without eating anything. “You don’t want anything to eat?”

“Mm-mm…” Silver pushed the plate away and slumped on the table with his eyes closed.

“Hey, are you okay?” Saylee asked, getting up and going around to crouch next to him. She pushed his hair away from his face to have a look at him and feel if he had a temperature. He didn’t, but he didn’t resist her messing with his hair, which was a first, and he was abnormally pale. “Oh, no, you’re seasick, aren’t you?”

“Never been on a dumb boat before,” Silver muttered. “Rooms shouldn’t shake.”

“C’mon, let’s go up to the room so you can lie down and get some seasickness medicine,” Saylee said, tugging him to his feet.

“I can stand myself,” Silver said, giving her a weak shove and walking towards the door. Saylee walked closely behind him in case he needed help. He made it to the stairs before he stumbled so badly that Saylee had to catch him, and after that he grudgingly accepted having to cling to Saylee’s arm to make it up the stairs.

They made it halfway down the hallway before Silver made an odd noise and let go of Saylee’s arm, slamming his hands over his mouth. Saylee looked around quickly and spotted a door standing ajar. “C’mon, in here,” she said, half-dragging, half-carrying him through. “Sorry, we really need your bathroom!” she called into the small room, dragging Silver into the bathroom. He grabbed the side of the toilet and started retching into it. Saylee grabbed his hair and held it back, wincing as Silver was violently sick.

“Whuh…?” a man in a blue jumpsuit appeared at the bathroom door, yawning and rubbing his eyes. “Is this your room, ma’am?”

“No, of course not… wait, it’s not yours?” Saylee said, glancing down at Silver as he retched again. “Just get it out,” she said soothingly, rubbing his back.

“No, I’m maid service… oh no, don’t tell them I was napping on the job!” he said, sounding panicked. “Please!”

“I won’t if you help me get him back to our room,” Saylee said, looking down at Silver. “…as soon as he’s done here.”

{}

After taking his seasickness pills, Silver fell straight asleep. Saylee tucked him into her bed, under her dreamcatcher, and went to sit on the balcony, watching the sea and listening to music.

She could see how close they were to Kanto by the colour of the water. While it was no longer corrosive, it was still a sickly purplish-green colour with an oily sheen. She stopped seeing Goldeen and Poliwag swimming by and started seeing only Tentacool. The sunlight dimmed too as the ship sailed under Kanto’s constantly grey-brown skies.

By the clock on Saylee’s pokégear, it was past five when they began to sail in sight of land again. The first thing that they passed by was a large empty island of black stone.

“Cinnabar!” she cried aloud in shock as she recognized the shape of the volcano in the middle of the island. _This was where the Mew Two project changed everything. This was where Miranda died…_

“Whuzzat?” Silver said, wandering out of the door, rubbing his eyes. He still looked a little ill and disoriented, and surprisingly unguarded, like he was forgetting to hate everyone and everything on principle. It was rather sweet.

“Put on your glasses and have a look,” Saylee said, nodding at the island. He did so, climbing onto the other chair and leaning on the railing with his arms crossed, staring wide-eyed at the burnt island. “It’s called Cinnabar. The volcano there exploded about a year and a half ago… all that black rock is cooled, hardened lava.”

“Cool,” Silver said, staring up at the volcano.

“Not very,” Saylee said quietly. “I barely got out alive. My first Gyarados, Miranda… she didn’t.

“Oh,” Silver said, looking down. “That sucks. I’m sorry.”

“You should get ill more often if it makes you this polite,” Saylee teased.

“Shut up, I’ve never been on a boat before,” Silver grumbled. “We went through caves before. It was cold and damp and it sucked, but at least it didn’t _move_ all the time.”

“Well, since we’re passing Cinnabar, we’re very nearly there,” Saylee said encouragingly. “We’ll be in Vermillion soon, and from there there’s a quick tunnel to Pewter City. We’ll go there in the morning and you can meet my mother. Blue’ll be there too.”

“Great,” Silver grumbled, rolling his eyes, clearly getting a bit more back to his normal self at the prospect of dry land.

As Saylee predicted, it was less than an hour until they were sailing up to the docks in Vermillion and the PA was announcing their imminent arrival. Saylee’s heart lifted at the mostly familiar sight of the buildings of Vermillion, though work had clearly gone on; there were more, larger buildings, and the electric fence was gone.

“I’d better go get my things back into my bag,” Saylee said, getting up and going into the room. The only thing she’d unpacked was her dreamcatcher, which was quickly put away. Her bedclothes had come with the room and she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to keep them, but she did anyway, figuring she could just give them back if confronted about it. Silver’s haversack, which he’d packed his clothes and some books he’d gotten in Mahogany into, did look rather fuller than usual, but Saylee didn’t press him about it.

The ship came to a juddering stop that nearly knocked them off their feet. “Is anyone driving this thing?” Silver complained, picking himself up and looking a little green-faced again.

“Do you need to throw up again?” Saylee asked, concerned.

“I’m fine,” Silver said immediately. “Do we just go?”

There was a knock on the door, causing Silver to quickly grab Mag and hide the Magneton under his jumper. Saylee opened it to see Ken there. He bowed to her.

“We apologize for the bumpy landing, but the Vermillion docks are not in good shape and there’s a ship docked already,” he explained.

“A ship? Where from?” Saylee asked with interest.

“It’s a police ship, I believe,” Ken said. “It has the Interpol logo on it. Have you all your things? If you’d like to follow me, it’s time to disembark.”

“C’mon,” Saylee said, holding her hand out to Silver. He took it, pointedly ignoring her, but gripping very tightly. Saylee smiled and followed Ken to the gangplank out of the ship.

“Thank you for sailing with the SS Aqua,” Ken said formally, bowing again. “We hope you had a pleasant voyage and that you will—what the hell is that?!”

Silver let go of Saylee’s hand and ran down the gangplank as Ken straightened up sharply, staring. Saylee turned, following his line of sight.

Something shining was galloping across the waves towards them, and under its feet the disgusting, murky water was shining brilliant and clear.

“Suicune!” Saylee gasped, running down the gangplank to Silver, who had jumped up onto the railing at the bottom and was leaning over it, reaching his hand out to Suicune. She stopped in front of him, leaning her head up to nuzzle her head against his palm.

“You cleaned up that gross water! That’s awesome!” Silver breathed, stroking her mane. “You’re awesome.”

“Is that Suicune?!” Ken gasped, running down the gangplank after them. Saylee looked over her shoulder to see that other passengers of the SS Aqua were also starting to approach them. Several sailors ran past the old man she’d seen that morning, now with his granddaughter firmly in hand. Suicune shied away as the other humans approached.

“Go on,” Silver said, turning around to glare at the sailors as Suicune ran away. “Look what you did!” he yelled angrily. “You scared her off!”

“C’mon,” Saylee muttered, grabbing his hand again and tugging him away as the sailors actually started fanboying to each other about how awesome it was to see _the_ Suicune and how blessed their first voyage must be. _They’re not wrong_ , Saylee thought, looking down and seeing the bottom of Vermillion harbour for the first time in her life. Truthfully, the clear water wasn’t much better than the murky; Saylee could clearly the see the junk and waste strewn across the harbour bottom. There were already a distressing number of bones visible.

“Holy shit! Vincent, tell buildin’ crew E to get their asses down to the docks, they’re on cleaning duty now!”

“Lt Surge!” Saylee called, walking onto the docks with Silver and waving to the large, burly blond who was bellowing orders at just about everyone hurrying around Vermillion. He grinned and saluted when he saw Saylee.

“Hey, you little tyke!” he said, tipping up his sunglasses. “You’ve got a littler tyke, too! What up, pint-size,” he said, winking at Silver. “Heard you were out of the country! What was that all about?”

“There was Rocket ass that still needed kicked,” Saylee said, fistbumping the lieutenant and praying that her shoulder wouldn’t be knocked out of its socket. “But that’s done, so I’m back for a while.”

“Right on,” Surge said with a grin. “No word on your brother?”

“I’ve got some suggestions that he might be in the mountain range,” Saylee sighed, “but it’ll be a while before I can go. But in other brother news, meet my younger half-brother, Silver.” She nodded down at Silver.

“Half-brother? Never said you had one of them,” Surge said, peering down at Silver.

“Never knew I had one until recently,” Saylee said, smiling at Silver, who was staring up at Surge, wide-eyed. Saylee suddenly remembered that Team Rocket and Lt Surge had fought each other for a long time and wondered if Silver knew of him at all. “Lt Surge, this is Silver. Silver, Lt Surge. He’s in charge of Vermillion City.”

“Yeah, I know,” Silver mumbled, ducking his head and avoiding Surge’s eyes. “Can we let our Pokémon out now that we’re off the dumb ship?”

“You’re welcome to, pintsize, just s’long as they don’t cause no trouble,” Surge said with a nod. He turned and yelled over his shoulder. “OI! WHERE’S THAT INTERPOL JACKASS? THE JOHTO SHIP’S HERE!”

 Silver let go of Saylee’s hand to let Mag out from under his jumper and dig his pokéballs out of his pocket. Tyra, Zeb, Mag, Gareth, Alec and Siren all stretched and stared around in surprise at their new surroundings.

“Where the hell are we?” Tyra asked, sniffing at the water and making a face at all the gunk she could see below it.

“Welcome to Kanto,” Silver said, spreading his hands and making a face. “Ta- _da_.”

“Why is Interpol here?” Saylee asked Surge, staring in surprise at the huge cargo ship that was tethered to the other side of Vermillion’s single operational dock.

“Ah, the idiots went off-course and thought they were sailin’ into Olivine,” Surge said, crossing his arms. “Got a shipment of poached Pokémon t’take back there, I think. They didn’t expect all the shit under the water and ran themselves aground. I got sixty pissed-off wild Pokémon in my hall waitin’ for their ship home.”

“Did you say poached Pokémon?” Saylee said, fumbling in her pockets for her own Pokémon. “What kinds?”

“I dunno, don’t recognize half of ‘em, but apparently they’re all from Johto originally,” Surge said with a shrug. “You’re welcome to take a look, you know the way. I gotta go. OI! YEAH, YOU! Your ship fixed yet or what?!”

“What’s the big deal?” Silver yelled, running after Saylee as she ran towards the huge driftwood building on the seafront, releasing her own Pokémon around her. They all looked around dazedly for a moment before spotting their trainer running and going after her.

“Lee, what’s up?” Steve yelled, hopping onto Peggy’s back with Shuuya while Tobias flew alongside. Mary and Chip ran closely behind Saylee.

“There’s a ship here returning poached Pokémon to Johto!” she called as she ran along the docks. “I don’t know for sure if it’s coming from Unova, but…”

“It might be ‘avin me mam on it!” Chip said excitedly, running faster. “Where?”

“Here,” Saylee said breathlessly, nearly slamming into the door to the hall in her haste to reach and open it quickly.

There were a few Foretress floating around, with their pre-evolution, Pineco. Several Ledyba and Ledian were clinging to the ceiling, and some scowling little Larvitar were sitting in a huddle next to a larger, warmer group of three Typhlosion. They all looked up at Saylee and her Pokémon as they walked in.

“M… Mam?” Chip gasped, staring at them, before tearing over to the three and hugging one of them. “ _Mam_!”

“What?” the Typhlosion he was hugging gasped in confusion. “Who…?”

“Mam, it’s me, it’s Chip!” Chip shouted happily. “I been evolvin’, an’ lookin’ for you, an’… an’ you’re okay!”

“Chip? Gods a’mighty!” Chip’s mother gasped, hugging him back. “Wee Chip! Look at you!”

“This be your wee one, then, Til?” one of the other Typhlosion said. “He’s no’ very wee the now!”

“Check it out! He found her!” Steve said happily. “Nice to meet you, Chip’s mum!”

“Mam, this be Steve,” Chip said, waving to the Furret. “An’ this be Peggy, Mary, Toby, Shuuya… and this be Tyra, Mag, Siren, Gareth, Zeb an’ Alec… and the humans be Lee an’ her brother Silver. Mam, Lee’s been trainin’ me an’ helpin’ me be searchin’ for you! She’s the reason I been evolvin’!”

“Bless you, darlin’, bless you,” Til said, giving Saylee an extremely warm hug. “Bless you all, for lookin’ after ma boy… I’m so glad he’s been safe wi’out me. Chip, I’m so proud o’ you!” Chip grinned, his mane flaring up brightly.

“All o’ you sit down,” the other Typhlosion said. “Tell us what’s been happenin’!”

“Oh, Mam, you all got took by Team Rocket,” Chip babbled. “We been fightin’ them all over Johto!”

“She looks really happy to see him,” Silver muttered as he and Saylee sat down with their Pokémon, listening to Chip excitedly tell his mother everything that had happened over the previous six months. Saylee put her arm around him.

“Mum’ll be just as happy to see us,” she promised him. “Just wait and see.” Silver nodded slightly, curling up on himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chip died ingame when Lt Surge’s Electrode used Explosion. In the fic, Saylee doesn’t fight Surge, so I needed another reason to get rid of Chip and I decided to be kind. For once.
> 
> RIP Chip the Typhlosion, level 5-51


	61. Chapter 61

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 21 
> 
> Deaths: 7

“Allllll aboooooard the ship back to Johto!” a sailor bellowed, striding into the hall. “Any Pokémon going home to Johto, allllll abooooooard!”

“Time t’be goin’, Til,” a Typhlosion named Cara said to Chip’s mother. “Ready t’be goin’?”

“Can’t wait t’be seein’ home again,” Til sighed, stretching and getting up as other Pokémon began to run, fly or amble towards the door, while a few others hung about or waved goodbye to friends and struck out into the wilds of Kanto.

“Lee?” Chip said, looking down nervously. “Ummm…”

“Been a long time since you were this timid,” Saylee teased him. “Do you want to go home with your mother?”

“I just ain’t been seein’ home in a long, long time,” Chip admitted. “An’ you’ll be goin’ home now… made me be missin’ home too.”

Saylee gave him a hug. “I’ll miss you, Chip,” she said softly. “You’ve been a great friend. I’m really glad that you found your mother and you’re going home.”

“Thanks, Lee,” Chip said, hugging her back. “I’ll be missin’ you all…”

“We’ll miss you too, Chip, but it’s great that you can go home with your mum!” Tobias said, flitting over to hug Chip.

“Aye, gaun yersel’,” Mary said, also giving him a hug. “Yer maw looks proper happy tae go hame wi’ you!”

“The team salutes you, Chip!” Steve said, actually saluting Chip.

“It has been an honour to train alongside you,” Peggy said proudly.

“Go on home, Chip,” Saylee said, letting go of him and stepping back. “You can finally go home, and so can we.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes a little.

“Don’t be cryin’!” Chip said, panicking. “Don’t be sad!”

“I’m not,” Saylee laughed. “I rarely get to say goodbye in such a happy way… I’m just so happy for you!” She was surprised by a big hug from Til.

“I really can’t be thankin’ you enough,” she said. “You be safe, alright? I hope we’ll be seein’ you again.”

“Me too,” Saylee said, hugging her back and smiling.

“Til, you comin’ or not?” a male named Tam yelled at Til through the door.

“We’re comin’, Tam!” Til yelled, giving Chip a nudge. “C’mon, then. Time t’be goin’ home.”

“’Kay…” Chip ran off after her, but stopped at the door to turn and wave. “Thank you!” he yelled. Then he turned and ran after his mother.

“Are you seriously crying ‘cause you’re happy?” Silver asked as Saylee wiped her eyes.

“Yep,” Saylee sniffed, grinning. “C’mon. Let’s grab a spot and pitch camp for the night. Hope you weren’t spoiled by the ship, ‘cause the last time I was here this was where out-of-towners had to sleep.”

“Yeah, some of the people who were on the ship with us are on their way here with bedrolls and stuff,” Tobias reported, flitting away from the door.

“We’ve slept in worse,” Tyra said, curling up in one of the corners. “Siren, don’t be a bitch to anyone. I’d rather be under a roof in this country.”

“I miss Johto already,” Siren grouched.

{}

“Diglett’s Tunnel is still caved in?” Saylee asked, dismayed.

“Yeah, they’re diggin’ it out from Pewter, but damned if I know how long it’s gonna take,” Surge grumbled, glaring at the dark cave mouth as if it was actively trying to piss him off. “They’re in charge a’ diggin’ out Mt Moon an’ the underground passages, too. That earthquake messed everythin’ up. Still ain’t fixed half the damage.”

“Damn,” Saylee moaned, staring at the partially-cleared pile of boulders and earth clogging up what she thought was her route home. “I guess I thought it’d be cleared by now.”

“Nah… they got some decent diggin’ Pokémon in Pewter, but they ain’t got the tools and they ain’t got the manpower,” Surge said with a shrug. “Some diggers came in from Sinnoh an’ I hear they had to go _over_ Mt Moon ‘cause the underground’s so messed up. We tried clearin’ it, but we ain’t really got the know-how an’ it kept collapsin’ on our damn heads. So we pulled back, focused on buildin’ a city an’ some ships an’ left this shit to the experts.”

“What the hell happened to it?” Silver asked.

“Remember the volcanic eruption on Cinnabar I told you about?” Saylee asked slowly. “It caused some pretty nasty earthquakes. The aftershocks kept recurring…”

“Well that sucks,” Silver complained, kicking the ground. “What now?”

“You could always visit Sabrina, that kid misses ya,” Surge said, turning and heading back towards Vermillion. “Oh, but I should warn ya, there’s a couple of guys wantin’ to challenge you.”

“Challenge me?” Saylee asked.

Surge nodded. “OI! HORTON! THIS IS HER!” he bellowed, pointing to Saylee. “Later,” he said, saluting briefly to Saylee and Silver. “I AIN’T SEEIN’ FLAT GROUND AND I AIN’T SEEIN’ MACHOP, SO ONE OR THE OTHER BETTER BE HERE IN THE NEXT TEN SECONDS!”

“You’re Saylee?” a tall man with spiky blond hair said, running up to them. “Huh, thought you’d be taller, someone with your rep,” he added, looking somewhat surprised to have to tip his head down to see Saylee. “ _You_ beat Giovanni three times?”

“Want me to show you how?” Saylee said, crossing her arms defiantly. “Surge said you wanted to challenge me.”

“Hell yeah!” Horton pulled a pokéball out of his pocket. “I’m always up for strong trainers to fight!”

“He better not be _too_ weak, or this’ll be boring to watch,” Silver grumbled, stepping back from Saylee as she chose her first Pokémon. Several other people were gathering behind Horton to watch.

 _For all I know, they’ll finish the tunnel today and I can go home tonight,_ she thought as Horton released an Electrode. _It can’t hurt to hang around for a while._

{}

Around midday, Saylee’s Pokédex _beeped._ She watched Mary knock over an Electabuzz to make sure that the Ampharos had the upper hand, then turned her attention to her Pokédex. She pulled it out of her bag and clicked it open to have a letter and a pokéball appear on the portpad. Saylee unfolded the letter, surprised to see that it was from Vera; she hadn’t expected a reply to the letter she’d sent that morning.

 

_I’m so glad that Chip found his mother. Thanks for writing to me to tell me. It’s a weight off my shoulders, trust me. After working in poached Pokémon warehouse on Chrono Island… well, I’m glad some of them are finding their way home._

_Anyway, I know you’re lacking for a fire-type now and that heating isn’t something you can take for granted in Kanto, so I’ve sent over Patrick. He’s getting too large to be in this sleepy little town, anyway; all he wants is to run and keep running, and I figure he’ll be able to do that better in Kanto than around here. You can send him back if you like, but it seemed to suit._

_~Vera_

_Patrick…_ Saylee picked up the pokéball, recalling the Ponyta that she’d caught near the reserve in Johto. She’d passed through briefly and stepped into the area where Pokémon went when they were battling for a trainer. She’d caught him because Ponyta were beautifu,l and she’d always wanted to train one, but she hadn’t had more than a few visits to New Bark to spend with him. Two pure fire-types unbalanced her team, and she needed to be ready for anything.  With Chip gone home, though…

“Guys!” she called, clicking open the pokéball. “Patrick’s come to join us!”

“Who?” Tobias asked, flitting over. “Oh, you,” he said in surprise as the Ponyta appeared and shook his head. “Patrick, I don’t know if you remember me, I’m Tobias…”

“I mind you,” Patrick said, nodding to him. “Mary, right?” he added, nodding to the Ampharos. “Nice t’see you again.”

“What’s he mean by that?” Tobias asked. Mary rolled her eyes and gave him a kiss and he shut up.

“Peggy, Steve, Shuuya, none of you have met Patrick, right?” Saylee asked as the Pidgeot, Furret and Seel stared curiously at Patrick. “Patrick, this is Peggy, Steve and Shuuya.”

“Nice t’meet you all,” Patrick said with a nod, before doing a double-take at the sight of Shuuya. “Hey, check your horn!”

“I do have a horn, yes,” Shuuya said, eyes crossing as he tried to peer at the sharp horn set between his eyes. Patrick trotted over to him and peered closely at him.

“ _Brilliant_ ,” Patrick breathed. “I want t’be a Rapidash someday, y’know, an’ t’en I’ll have a horn too! Brill or what?”

“You’re in good shape, so it looks like you’ve kept up your training,” Saylee said, smiling at him. “So, guys; shall we train?”

{}

“This is _weird_ ,” Silver said, running his hand along Patrick’s back as they settled down for bed after a long day of training, which had paid off in spades with the evolutions of Shuuya and Patrick. “You’re on _fire_. It’s warm and stuff, but how come I’m not burned?”

“I don’t want t’burn you, t’at’s why,” Patrick said simply. “It’d be a bit silly, wouldn’t it, burnin’ someb’dy I don’t want t’burn!”

“I’m glad you’re here, anyway,” Saylee said, leaning against his side. “All these sea breezes through the cracks in the walls can make it chilly in here.”

“I don’t feel cold,” Siren said, sitting firmly away from Patrick and his flaming mane.

“Or me,” Gareth added, floating boredly in and out of the wall.

“Me neither,” Mag added.

“You’re an ice-type, you’re dead and you’re a robot or something,” Silver pointed out.

“And it’s time for everyone who can sleep to sleep,” Saylee said, trying not to yawn. Tobias and Mary were already asleep, curled up together on Patrick’s other side. Steve and Peggy were similarly snuggled together against the newly-evolved Rapidash’s warm back. Shuuya had gone out to sleep on the beach, preferring the water. “Gareth, you couldn’t go keep an eye on Shuuya, could you? I don’t like him being out there alone, it’s not safe.”

“I’m not your guard Growlithe,” Gareth said, twisting Saylee’s shadow so it was making a rude gesture at her.

“Just do it,” Silver grumbled as Zeb and Tyra both settled down nearby to sleep. Gareth made a face but flew out of the wall.

“This one shall accompany him, for this one has no need for sleep,” Alec volunteered, teleporting away.

Saylee smiled as Patrick’s fire twined around her softly. Patrick really had outgrown New Bark. After only a couple of practice battles with him, he’d evolved into a Rapidash, roughly the same time that Shuuya had evolved into a Dewgong. The pair had spent all dinner arguing over who had the bigger horn, a debate that Saylee had tried desperately not to laugh too much at. Silver hadn’t bothered.

“Hey, Saylee?” Silver asked. “If we can’t go through Diglett’s Tunnel, where _are_ we gonna go?”

“We could go up to Cerulean and see if Mt Moon’s been dug through,” Saylee suggested. “It’ll be easy to get to through Saffron, where my friend Sabrina lives. If not, maybe Diglett’s Tunnel will be dug out by the time we get back.”

“Not a totally dumb plan, I guess…” Silver said. Saylee cracked her eyes open and could vaguely make out that he was staring up at her dreamcatcher, pinned to the driftwood wall. “Will we have to go to Viridian? Do we _have_ to? Couldn’t we just, I dunno, fly on your Pidgeot?”

“Peggy isn’t’ big enough to carry both of us, Silver,” Saylee said softly, “so through Viridian is the best way to get to Pallet. We can pass through quickly. We don’t have to stay for long. Don’t worry.”

“…’kay,” Silver mumbled, rolling over. Saylee closed her eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.

{}

“Watch _t’is_!”

“Patrick, that’s the city wall!”

“Aye, an’ I can jump it easy! Watch!”

Saylee shrieked and held tightly onto Silver as Patrick’s hooves left the track, and he went flying over the Saffron city wall. She still clung tightly to the Rapidash even though she’d quickly found that she didn’t need to; Patrick’s flames seemed to wrap around them, keeping them warm and secure no matter how fast he ran, and Patrick loved to run _fast_. More than half a day’s journey between Saffron and Vermillion had gone by in well under an hour.

Saylee swore she saw sparks fly when Patrick’s hooves struck the cracked concrete of the streets of Saffron City. A guard in a blue uniform and a Machoke came running out of the guardhouse.

“What d’you think you’re _doing_?” the guard yelled.

“Hands off, y’big wanker!” Patrick yelped as the Machoke grabbed him around the neck, trying to avoid his suddenly burning mane.

“I’m so, so sorry,” Saylee said, dismounting from Patrick’s back. “He just evolved into Rapidash and he _really_ likes to run…”

“Yeah, but that’s no excuse to… hey, are you Saylee from Pallet?” the guard asked, staring at her.

“Uh, yeah,” Saylee said, helping Silver down.

The guard darted over to shake her hand. “You beat Giovanni!” he said enthusiastically, grinning broadly. “It’s an honour to meet you!”

“Hey, didn’t Hernan from the dojo go with her?” the Machoke said, letting go of Patrick and blowing at his hands. “Sorry, pal.”

“Ceez, you didn’t say you were _famous_ ,” Silver grumbled.

“I had a vision of your arrival!”

“Sabrina!” Saylee gasped as she was enthusiastically glomped by the thirteen-year-old psychic. Sabrina had cut her dark blue hair short, so now it brushed her shoulders rather than nearly trailing on the ground behind her. When Saylee had last seen Sabrina, she’d mostly been wearing her red pyjamas, making her look like a young child. Now show was wearing a pink tank top and white jeans, making her look more mature and much more like a young teenager. “Wow! How are you?”

“I’m very well, and you are too!” Sabrina said happily, letting go of her and smiling at Silver. “Hello, Roark. It’s very nice to meet you. May I meet Alec? I have two Alakazam myself. Abdul! Aziz!” the two powerful psychics in question appeared behind her. Sabrina was quite a tall girl—she was as tall as Saylee was—but both of her Alakazam dwarfed her. Saylee couldn’t feel psychic power, but their moustaches—symbols of the line’s power—brushed the ground. They were _strong_.

“Hey! My name’s _Silver_ now! Stay out of my head!” Silver yelled sharply, stepping back and releasing Siren. “If this psychic freak gets in my head again, Shadow Claw everything!”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Sabrina gasped. “I didn’t realize that changing your name was such an integral facet of your new life with your sister! I’m so sorry!”

“Shut up!” Silver yelled angrily. “It’s none of your damn business! She’s only my half-sister! Shut up!”

“Silver, calm down,” Saylee said, squeezing his shoulder. He looked surprised at her. “It’s okay. I’ll keep calling you Silver if you prefer.”

“Never mind,” Silver muttered. “It’s dumb. I figured it would make it harder for them to find me and stuff, y’know, if I used a different name, and…”

“It’s fine,” Saylee repeated, “but no cutting, Siren. And Sabrina, you really shouldn’t go into people’s heads without their permission.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Sabrina gasped, slapping herself on the forehead. “I keep doing that… I’ve been told it’s rude, and I know I shouldn’t, but I keep doing it without meaning to. I’m so sorry!”

“Sabrina’s powers are too great to be contained,” one of the Alakazam—Saylee didn’t know if it was Abdul or Aziz—said loftily.

“A girl’s powers are great indeed, for a human,” Alec said, releasing himself from his pokéball and peering at Sabrina. “How curious indeed.”

“There’s three of this pretentious bastard now?” Siren said distastefully. “Don’t look down your moustaches at _me_ , boys. I’ll cut them off.”

“Silver, can you please get Siren to not slice anybody?” Saylee begged, glancing at the security guard and Machoke, both of whom were backing away nervously from the trio of Alakazam. Silver rolled his eyes but returned Siren. “So, Sabrina, how’s Saffron doing?”

“Oh, come see the new buildings!” Sabrina said, grabbing Saylee by the wrist and tugging her off. Saylee grinned at Silver and beckoned for him to follow as they were given the grand tour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The random drop about Silver’s name is part of a pet crack theory of mine and Key’s. We do love crack theories.
> 
> Name: Dillon. Species: Diglett. Nature: Bold. Ability: Arena Trap. Location: Vermillion City. Level: 28.
> 
> According to his info sheet, Dillon “Likes to run”. I’m frightened and confused.
> 
> Name: Albus. Species: Abra. Nature: Bold. Ability: Inner Focus. Location: Route 6. Level: 14


	62. Chapter 62

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 23 
> 
> Deaths: 7

Several streets of buildings in the southwest corner of the city had burned down during the battle of Saffron. Saylee counted nine new houses, all built by hand. Kanto had none of the high-tech building equipment that Saylee had seen at the site of the Trainer Tower in Johto. As they approached the tenth building under construction, she recognized a large number of the workers as being former Rockets captured during the battle. All of them were sporting large, clunky bracelets on their wrists. Silver shrank behind his sister, with Mag floating defensively around him, narrowing its three eyes on the Rockets. Saylee wondered if any of the Rockets would recognize him as Roark, Giovanni and Ariana’s son.

“Silph made them,” Sabrina said, before slapping her hands over her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry, I read your mind again.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Saylee insisted. “I was going to ask anyway. What are they? The manacles?”

“Oh, they’re very good,” Sabrina said brightly. “They channel my psychic energy and allow me to monitor the Rockets in case they steal anything. I’ve caught some of them stealing food before. It’s a good outlet for my psychic powers. My teacher thinks that bottling up my powers was what caused them to lash out of control and that using them allows me to better control them. Practice makes perfect, she says!”

“Who’s your teacher?” Saylee asked curiously. “Another psychic?”

“Oh, no,” Sabrina laughed. “Lady Erika has no psychic powers. But she is very good at teaching control and delicacy. She has taught me many meditative techniques to calm my mind. She’s taught me flower arrangement, too!”

“ _Flowers_?” Silver said incredulously. “What do flowers have to do with anything?”

“Control, precision and delicacy,” Sabrina insisted. “It is very peaceful and meditative, and arranging flowers using my kinetic powers has allowed me to hone them and use them precisely. It has helped a lot!” She grinned as a burnt beam that two of the men were struggling to remove glowed pink and floated into the air, settling itself neatly into a skip. Then her smile faded abruptly as she looked towards the east gate. “Oh. They’re back,” she said, frowning.

“Who are?” Saylee asked. There was a flash of light from Sabrina, Abdul and Aziz, and suddenly they were no longer standing among partially rebuilt buildings. Saylee, Sabrina, Silver and their Pokémon appeared at the east gate to Saffron just as raiders on motorbikes were directing their Koffing and Grimer to attack the gate.

“What t’hell just happened?!” Patrick yelped. Silver immediately released Tyra and Siren.

“Sabrina!” one of the guards called in relief, ducking a gunk shot from one of the Grimer. “HELP!”

“Of course,” Sabrina said smoothly. She, Abdul and Aziz actually levitated and flew towards the attacking raiders.

“There’s more on the way!” Tyra called, pointing up the path east. Another group of bikers were coming with stronger Pokémon running or floating alongside them.

“We’ll get them,” Saylee said, releasing Shuuya and Tobias. “Shuuya, Waterfall that Flareon! Patrick, Flame Wheel the Muk! Tobias, Extrasensory the Koffing and Weezing!”

Tobias flew up into the air as his eyes glowed. Koffing began to fall from the air, one after the other. Shuuya’s watery charge towards the Flareon knocked several bikers from their motorbikes, and several more crashed trying to evade Patrick’s fire.

“Damn you, bitch!” One of the bikers yelled. He actually grabbed and threw his Weezing over the heads of Saylee’s Pokémon, straight towards her.

“Look out!” Saylee yelled, stepping back with her arms over Silver.

“Saylee!” Shuuya called, leaping up and bodyslamming the Weezing just as it exploded.

“SHUUYA!” Patrick yelled, leaping up to the Dewgong but getting blown backwards by the blast. Saylee ducked down to shield Silver as the shockwave hit them.

“Hey!” Mag yelled. “Watch out!” Saylee was yanked backwards as one of the bikers grabbed her by the arm.

“Not so tough without your Pokémon, are you, bitch?” the man growled. Saylee kicked out behind her, hitting him hard in the crotch. He swore but didn’t let go, instead twisting her arm behind her painfully. “You’ll pay for that!”

“Leave my sister _alone_!” Silver yelled. Saylee was abruptly yanked backwards again as Tyra grabbed the man in her jaws. He yelled and let Saylee go as he struggled against Tyra’s teeth, but his legs flailed uselessly in the air as he was hefted off of the ground by the strength of the eight-foot-tall Feraligatr.

“Are you okay, Lee?” Tobias said, flying down to her.

“I’m fine,” Saylee said, shaking her arm. “Go see to Shuuya and Patrick!” She released Mary, Peggy and Steve to back him up.

“What do we do with him?” Siren cackled, flashing her claws as she leapt up onto Tyra’s back next to Silver. “ _Please_ say I get to cut him.”

“You get to run,” Silver told the man. “Siren gets to chase you. Ready? Set? Go!”

Tyra dropped the man, and Siren jumped down after him. The man immediately took off running. Saylee wondered for a split second if Siren actually would kill him before other worries took priority as she ran across the blood-spattered ground to where Patrick and Shuuya lay.

Patrick was alive, although barely. Peggy and Steve were helping him raise his head; he could barely move on his own. Luckily, he went safely into his pokéball, so at least he wasn’t too close to dying. Shuuya was a different story.

Saylee knew even before she saw the severity of his wounds, even before how much blood was pooling on the ground around him registered. She tried returning him, just in case, but it didn’t work, and she wasn’t entirely surprised.

“That guy was an asshole,” Silver said, walking up next to her and freezing. “Is… is he…?”

“He’s gone,” Tobias said mournfully. He was hugging Shuuya’s head and murmuring grave prayers. Saylee ran her hand along Shuuya’s side gently.

“Thank you for protecting us, Shuuya,” she said. She put an arm around Silver and hugged him. “Thank you too, Silver. Are you okay?”

“Am _I_ okay?” he said incredulously. “I’m fine. Obviously. So what do we do with Shuuya?”

“Lavender Town’s not far,” Tobias piped up. “I can fly ahead and get Mum to make the preparations for a funeral for Shuuya.”

“We just need a way to move him,” Saylee said, crouching next to the large water-type, glancing around for Sabrina, who was directing one of her Alakazam to finish off a rather large Muk some distance away.

“Did you say you’re going to Lavender Town? May I help?”

Saylee looked up. The man who had addressed her was a few years older than Saylee. He was wearing a white hoodie and black trousers and had silver hair and eyes. He frowned sadly as he crouched next to Shuuya. “We need to take Shuuya’s body to Lavender for a proper burial,” Saylee explained, resting a hand protectively on her dead Dewgong’s head.

“We’ll gaun aheid,” Mary said as she ran down the path towards Lavender with Tobias flying ahead. The Togetic vanished both of them in a teleport.

“Yes, I’ve heard of Lavender Town, the resting place of Pokémon,” the man said, digging into his hoodie pockets. “I’m here in Saffron on business, actually, but I’ve been meaning to see Lavender Town. If you’d like, I have a Pokémon that can carry your Dewgong and fly quite fast.”

“Who the hell is this guy?” Silver asked as Siren loped up next to him, licking her claws clean.

“Ah, I’m sorry, I should introduce myself,” the man said, releasing a Pokémon that Saylee had never seen before. It was like a large blue rock with four legs and a silver cross on its face. Piercing red eyes peered out from behind the cross. “My name is Steven, and this is Bozider.”

“Saylee,” Saylee said, staring at Bozider. “What is he?”

“He’s a Metagross,” Steven explained. “I’m not surprised if you haven’t seen one before. Metagross are not native to Kanto, and in fact neither am I, but that’s irrelevant. Bozider, can you help us carry this poor creature to Lavender?”

“I can carry him,” Bozider said. To Saylee’s surprise, he levitated Shuuya’s body, wrapping it him in pink light and then resting the body on his head. “But I know not where Lavender is.”

“Just follow us, okay?” Saylee said, turning to Peggy. “If you let me climb on your back, Peggy, I’ll direct you. It’s not _that_ far east of here.”

“Of course,” Peggy said, crouching down to allow her to climb on, which she did after returning Steve. “What about you, Steven?”

“I’ll ride on Bozider’s back,” Steven said. “Do you need a hand up, young man?” he added to Silver who was returning Tyra and Siren.

“No, I’m _fine_ ,” Silver grumbled, climbing up with Saylee onto Peggy’s back. “My name’s _Silver_. Mag!”

“Oh,” Mag said, floating away from Bozider. “Coming!” Mag seemed drawn to Bozider and kept twitching its magnets in the Metagross’ direction, even as it clung to Silver’s jumper.

 _Come to think of it, he does have a metallic sheen. It could be a steel-type_. Saylee shook out of her musings as Peggy flew into the air. “Head east, towards the mountains, Peggy,” Saylee directed her. “To be honest, you’ll probably feel it when you’re getting near.”

“For some reason, that does not sound good,” Peggy said.

“No,” Saylee sighed, looking around to make sure that Steven and Bozider were following. The huge blue Metagross glowed bright pink as he flew after them. “It’s not a good feeling.”

{}

Saylee was somewhat curious about Steven and Bozider, but getting to Lavender fast was a priority to her. She, Silver, Mag and Peggy flew on ahead in a grieving silence, occasionally looking back to make sure that Bozider was keeping pace.

“Lee!”

“Toby?” Saylee said in surprise as Tobias flew towards them. “We’re nearly there… what’s wrong?”

“They’re trying to take over the tower!” Tobias cried, flying in nervous circles around Saylee. “Come quick!”

“They’re _what_?!” Saylee gasped, enraged. “Who?! Team Rocket?”

“I dunno,” Tobias said, continuing to flit back and forth nervously even as he flew alongside Peggy. “Come on!”

“What’s this Tower?” Peggy asked.

“It’s where the remains of Pokémon are kept and their souls laid to rest,” Saylee growled. “I don’t know why someone wants to take it over, but they can’t.”

As they flew down into Lavender, Peggy and Mag started to shiver. Saylee was chilled to see mist curling out of Lavender Tower. It wasn’t shrouding the entire town as it had been when the Rockets had invaded, but clearly the dead were disturbed.

“Everyone’s arguing down there,” Tobias said, flying down to the base of the tower. Peggy and Bozider flew down after him.

There was a protective arc of Marowak and Cubone around the base of the tower. Every one of them had planted their bone club firmly in the ground, like a fence. Saylee could easily pick out Carrie as the tallest Marowak. Hernan and Mary were standing in front of her, arguing with a group of humans and nervous-looking Pokémon, mostly electric-types. Mr Fuji and his granddaughter Hayley were standing between the two arguing parties. Mr Fuji was holding out his hands, looking as if he was trying to placate the two groups, but it clearly wasn’t working. Tobias flew down to join Mary, who was sparking angrily, and Saylee released Steve to join them.

“Man, this place is creepy,” Steve muttered, shivering as he looked around at the mist and ruined houses.

“Tell me about it,” Saylee said as Peggy landed. “What’s going on here?” she demanded as she dismounted.

The leader of the opposing group, a middle-aged man with a dark moustache and a suit, glared at Saylee before turning back to Hernan. “This tower is the tallest standing structure in Kanto after the Silph building!” he shouted. “It’s ideal! Kanto _needs_ a radio and transmissions tower!”

“Then go build a tower,” Hernan said firmly. “This one is not yours to claim.” The Marowak and Cubone all nodded in complete unison, glaring constantly at the man and his group. It was probably to unnerve the group, and it seemed to be working. Most of them, except the man with the moustache, shied back.

“We’re not going to damage it!” he argued. “We can safely move the graves to—”

“No!” Hayley yelled, stepping forwards. Mr Fuji put a hand on her shoulder, holding her back. “You can’t move the graves! Don’t touch them!”

“You _won’t_ move the graves,” Carrie growled. The other Marowak and Cubone nodded in unison again.

“Excuse me,” Steven said, walking forwards with Bozider drifting after him, still carrying Shuuya. Carrie immediately withdrew and waved her bone club. Several other Marowak ran forwards to heft Shuuya up amongst them.

“Toby told us what happened,” Carrie said, walking over and hugging Saylee. “We’ll see to it that he rests soundly. Perform Shuuya’s last rites,” she told the other Marowak. They nodded and carried Shuuya away.

“Oh, can you do the same for Gabriel?” Tobias asked, flying after them. Crossing his hands over his chest, he pulled out a tiny orb of light. “I’ve been holding onto him until I could get him here,” he added to Saylee.

“Thank you,” Saylee said softly.

“Hey!” the moustached man yelled angrily. “We’re not done here!”

“Ach, away an’ bile yer heid,” Mary growled, her tail sparking.

“We’re done,” Saylee said, unbuttoning her coat. “Your mere _intentions_ are upsetting the dead. I don’t think you really understand what could happen to you if you _really_ piss them off.” She pulled off her long coat. Underneath, she was wearing only her yellow scarf and a white t-shirt, so when she held up her left arm, the scars raked across her forearm from being attacked by a possessed Blue and his Pokémon were clearly visible. “The last time the tower was invaded, I nearly died, and others weren’t so lucky. The only way _you’ll_ get into this home of the dead is by _joining_ them.”

The man had recoiled at the sight of Saylee’s scars, but he stepped forwards again, livid. “Is that a _threat_?!” he yelled in Saylee’s face.

“No, _this_ is,” Carrie said, throwing her bone club over his head so close that it brushed his hair. “ _Go. Away._ ”

“Hey, dumbass,” Silver spoke up. “Not _you_ ,” he said, rolling his eyes when Saylee looked quizzically at him. “This idiot with the dumb moustache. You said Silph was taller. Build there, idiot.”

“Don’t you dare talk to me like that, little boy!” the moustached man said angrily. “I am the director of this company, and you’re just a dumb kid!”

“I am not just a dumb kid!” Silver yelled angrily. Saylee grabbed his shoulder as he lunged at the director. She saw Bozider reach up one of his legs and grab Mag as the Magneton imitated his trainer’s angry lunge.

“He makes a very valid point, though,” Steven said, stepping in between Saylee and the director. The silver-haired man was much taller than both of them. “The Silph building is ideally situated. It’s the tallest standing structure in Kanto, and it’s at the very middle of the country. It also has a minimum of angry dead Pokémon. Why not set up a transmissions spike on its roof and use the upper floors? I’ve seen the building and it’s painfully understaffed for how large it is. They can spare some space.”

“We couldn’t negotiate the electricity and floorspace that we needed from the Silph president,” the director grouched. “He drives too hard a bargain, especially over the power, since the new power plant that was _supposed_ to be up and running a week ago isn’t.”

“May I propose a deal?” Steven said amiably. “I came to Kanto to negotiate trade agreements between Silph, a few other companies, and my father’s company, the Devon Corporation.”

“You’re a businessman?” the director said, staring from Steven’s hoodie to his Metagross.

“Oh, no, I’m a trainer,” Steven laughed. “Given the current situation in Kanto, it was considered too dangerous for my father to come negotiate in person. I’m here with one of my father’s lawyers, since I’m a rather powerful trainer and I’m very familiar with the company and my father’s aims. We’re offering terms that are highly favourable to Silph and other Kanto-based traders. We’re hoping to contribute to Kanto’s economy and trade presence getting back on their feet… with the little benefit of getting in on the ground floor of Kanto’s bountiful supply of naturally-occurring rare stones, of course, particularly Moon Stones. Because our terms are so generous, they will be in no position to refuse should I require that they accommodate you in their building.” He grinned at the director. “Come to Saffron with me, director, and we’ll lay this whole matter to rest.”

“I can go see what went wrong with the power plant,” Saylee offered, “if you’ll go away _now_.”

“Fine,” the director grumbled, backing down. His entourage, human and Pokémon both, audibly breathed sighs of relief. “Let’s go already!”

“Pleasure to meet you two,” Steven said, waving to Saylee and Silver as he climbed onto Bozider’s back. “I hope we meet again.”

“Sure,” Saylee said, waving back. “Thanks for your help.”

“Well, he was quite the tailfeather, wasn’t he?” Peggy commented, watching the director and his entourage follow Steven away. “The man with the furry face, I mean.”

“Yeah, but that Steven guy was cool,” Steve agreed. “Good name.”

“Where did you meet that man?” Carrie asked.

“Just outside of Saffron,” Saylee said. “He said he wanted to see the tower anyway, so when Shuuya was killed…”

“He’s odd, isn’t he?” Tobias said.

“Is he?” Carrie said, frowning after Steven for a moment before looking up at the Tower. “Good… the ghosts have calmed down. It’ll be alright now. We do owe Steven for that.”

“He’s a weirdo,” Silver said, watching the Cubone and Marowak return to the tower. “He’s got weird Pokémon.”

“His Metagross was very attractive,” Mag said. Silver stared at the Magneton. “What?”

“We’ll figure him out later,” Saylee said, shivering and pulling her coat back on. “Hi, Mr Fuji. Hi, Hayley. How are you guys doing?”

“Saylee, my dear, it’s good to see you again,” Mr Fuji said, smiling gently. “I am sorry that you have lost your Dewgong, and others too, from what your Tobias has said. Some of their names have been carved onto the memory stone already.”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, picking Patrick’s pokéball out of her pocket. “You have a healing machine, right? Can you heal my Rapidash? I want him to be able to attend Shuuya’s funeral if he wants.”

“Of course, my dear,” Mr Fuji said sympathetically. “This way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This happened in a double battle; a Biker’s Weezing used Explosion, taking out itself, its partner and very nearly Patrick. He hung on by a sliver of HP. Tobias bossed his way through Sabrina’s gym with little trouble, by the way.
> 
> Name: Saul. Species: Slugma. Nature: Naïve. Ability: Magma Armour. Location: Route 17. Level: 27
> 
> RIP Shuuya the Dewgong, level 22—47


	63. Chapter 63

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 23 
> 
> Deaths: 8

Saylee had never actually attended a funeral in Lavender Town, despite having had to send the remains of her Pokémon there more often than she’d like. As such, she hadn’t realized that the spacious ground floor of the Tower was a funeral hall, large and empty to make room for a huge wooden pyre, the high windows presumably intended to let out the smoke. Shuuya was already encased in wood by the time Saylee had healed Patrick and returned to the tower. She released her Pokémon, as did Silver.

“T’is ain’t right,” Patrick said, hanging his head as Carrie lit the pyre and the Marowak and Cubone started singing funeral prayers. “He was well tougher’n me. Why’d _he_ die?”

“He was very brave,” Saylee said, hugging Patrick around the neck.

“Yeah, well, the graveyards are full’ve the brave, aren’t they?” Siren said, rolling her eyes.

“Acht, wheesht,” Mary said as Tobias flew past her, carrying the little ball of light that was Gabriel’s soul towards the funeral pyre. “Sooner or later, the graveyards’re full ay _everyin_.”

“Hey, Gareth, what’s up?” Silver asked, staring at his Gengar. Gareth was unusually quiet and still, floating in one place and staring at the fire.

“Yeah… I just like this place,” Gareth said, smiling gently and happily rather than in his usual malicious fashion. “It’s soothing, y’know?”

“No,” Silver said, frowning at his Pokémon’s weird behaviour. “It’s creepy.”

“It kind of is,” Mag agreed.

“Yeah, but so’s he,” Zeb pointed out, flapping his four purple wings rapidly to essentially hover in place.

Tobias returned from the pyre and flitted up to Gareth, peering closely at him. “Y’know,” he said thoughtfully, “you’ve got a lot less energy than the first time we battled… you might be… Mum!” He flew over to Carrie again and whispered something into her skull. She nodded and said something to two smaller Marowak, who ran over to look at Gareth.

“This Gengar is ready to rest,” one of them declared.

“That actually sounds… kinda nice…” Gareth said sleepily. He yawned hugely.

“Does that mean you’re going?” Silver shouted. “You can’t _die_!”

“Already did, didn’t I?” Gareth muttered, floating slowly downwards and reaching out a hand to ruffle Silver’s hair. “Wasn’t ready for it then, but… Thanks, kid… it’s been fun… look after yourself…”

“You’re an asshole, Gareth,” Siren growled. “…Don’t know why I’m gonna miss you.”

“Same,” Tyra said. “If you’re going to piss off, then do it already!”

“Yeah, yeah…” Gareth mumbled.

 “Rest in peace,” Zeb whispered, sounding like he was starting to cry.

 “Silver?” Saylee said as Silver clenched his fists and glared sharply at the two Marowak.

“You’d better take good care of him,” he growled shakily. “You’ll pay if you don’t!”

“We will treat his soul with the utmost care,” one of the Marowak promised. The pair of them reached their bone clubs out to Gareth as he sank to the ground. For a brief moment, he took on the form of a slumped Pidgeotto.

Then he was gone, and soon after, Shuuya was ashes.

{}

“So,” Saylee said conversationally that night as they sat outside of the house that they were spending the night in. “Roark, huh?”

“It’s dumb,” Silver spat. “Mum said it was a strong name and it would make me strong. Which is stupid. It’s just a name. I don’t need that dumb name to be strong. I don’t need anything from _them_ to be strong.”

“Do you hate your name that much?” Saylee asked softly.

“I dunno… it’s what Mum called me sometimes,” Silver muttered. “When she bothered with me. And I used to get babysat by sellers who worked for Team Rocket, and they sometimes called me by my name, but I didn’t like them much ‘cause they didn’t like having to look after me much…”

“Did you like your mum?” Saylee asked. Silver had continued to refuse to visit his mother in prison, even though visits would be nigh-impossible to organize now that she and the other Rocket executives had been transferred to a maximum-security island prison to the west of Goldenrod.

“She’s my mum,” Silver said quietly. Saylee left it at that. _That’s probably all there is to say, really…_ “Anyway… I kinda picked Silver randomly when Tyra asked my name, ‘cuz I wanted a different name. I thought it’d make me harder to find or something, I dunno. Now my Pokémon call me Silver, and people I actually _like,_ like you and Wyatt and Lucy and Grandad, call me Silver. So I like Silver better.”

“Fair enough,” Saylee said, giving him a hug. “I like you too, y’know.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Silver grumbled. “You’ve said.” He hunched over a little. “…Thanks.”

“Any time,” Saylee promised, getting up and stepping into the semi-collapsed house that was lit by the flickering flames of Patrick’s mane. Steve was snuggled into Peggy’s side, as always. Tobias and Mary were sleeping in the tower, but they would be curled up together too. Zeb was hanging from a half-rafter poking out of the top of the wall, wrapped up in his wings and fast asleep, while Mag dozed in a heap on the floor next to where Alec was meditating. Tyra and Siren were sleeping as far as they could get from Patrick, who had Saylee and Silver’s sleeping bags heaped next to him to warm them up. Despite the surroundings, they all looked peaceful. “Let’s get some sleep,” Saylee told Silver. “The days are getting lighter, so we can get up pretty early tomorrow to go to Cerulean.”

{}

“Saylee, can I ask you a favour?” Carrie asked as Saylee helped Silver up onto Patrick’s back. Tobias was hugging his father goodbye. A young Cubone was peering out from behind Carrie’s back.

“Sure, Carrie,” Saylee said. “What is it?”

“This is Calvin,” Carrie said, giving the little Cubone a push forwards. “Calvin, this is Saylee.”

“The trainer you always talk about, yeah!” Calvin said, peering up at Saylee. “Hi!”

“Hi there, Calvin,” Saylee said, smiling at him. “You know, I don’t think I’ve seen a male before… Carrie, you always talk about your ‘sisters’.”

“Boys normally live in the innermost caves and carve gravestones,” Carrie explained. “They’re much more naturally suited to it. Calvin, however…”

“The only thing I wanna carve up is bad guys!” Calvin said, swinging his club exuberantly. “Carrie has all these cool stories about travelling and seeing cool places and fighting bad guys! _I_ wanna do that! POW!” He swung his bone club around and around, as if combating imaginary villains.

“Would you take him with you, Saylee?” Carrie asked. “He’s got a lot of warrior potential, for a boy, and I think he should get to use it.”

“I’d love to,” Saylee said, picking Calvin up and smiling at him. “I remember when you were this little, Carrie! I bet you’ll grow up just as tough as her,” she told Calvin.

“Awesome!” Calvin said, hugging her. “Oooh, humans are _warm_ when they’re alive!”

“Calvin’s coming? Cool!” Tobias said, flitting over to high-five the little Cubone. “Hey, look, I’ve gotten bigger since Langnicht! I think I’m big enough to carry you now!”

“Hey, you are!” Calvin said excitedly, climbing from Saylee’s arms to Tobias’ back, hanging on between the joints of Tobias’ wings. “Up, up and AWAY!”

“You heard the lad,” Patrick said as Saylee climbed onto his back. His flames immediately wrapped warmly and oddly securely around her and Silver. Mag, who had been gripping onto Silver’s arm, shifted nervously away from the fire. “Off we go!”

{}

“Halt! Cerulean police!”

“Whoa, Patrick,” Saylee said, patting him on the neck and peering around at the houses of Cerulean. “Police?”

“Well, there’s only three of us, but we _are_ the police,” a pale, middle-aged brunette said as she ran up to them. She had a shield-shaped metal badge pinned to her jacket. A Diglett popped out of the ground next to her. He had a similar shield balanced on top of his head. The woman stopped and stared at Saylee. “It’s you!”

“Here we go again,” Silver muttered, rolling his eyes.

“You got the thief who robbed our house!” the woman gasped.

“Oh…” Saylee realized. “I remember you…”

“We never thanked you!” the woman said, saluting Saylee. “I’m Elizabeth. Captain Elizabeth of the Cerulean Police. My husband Roy is Sergeant, and this is Constable Dilbert. Thank you so, so much for stopping that robber from stealing anything else… I’m sorry we didn’t stay to thank you before.” She twisted her hands in front of her. “When the two of you started fighting, we got frightened…”

“That was why you ran away,” Saylee recalled with a nod.

“They _what_?” Silver said incredulously. “How _weak_ is that?!”

“It’s okay, Silver,” Saylee said. “Without Pokémon of your own to defend you, Pokémon battles can be dangerous…”

“No, he’s right,” Elizabeth interrupted. “You were just trying to protect us, but we ran away. We were just as afraid of you as him because you were strong and we were weak. After you defeated Misty and left, we decided that we couldn’t keep hiding behind powerful trainers…”

“So we started the police force together!” Dilbert piped up. “Right now, we’re investigating a theft from the Power Plant! An important part has been stolen by a man in black!”

“A man in black…?” Silver growled, releasing Siren, Alec, Tyra and Zeb. “Where is he?!”

“If we knew, he’d be arrested, wouldn’t he?” Elizabeth said, frowning. A shortwave radio that was sticking out of her top pocket suddenly buzzed.

“ _Liza?”_ a voice called. “ _He’s been seen going into Misty’s_!”

“Misty’s out of town, so her pool is empty! Damn!” Elizabeth shouted, turning and running towards the pool.

Saylee released Peggy, Steve and Mary. Steve immediately hopped onto Peggy’s back, flattening down under the long feathers of her crest. “Follow us!” she shouted, patting Patrick on the neck. He shot forwards. “Turn right here! The gym’s up ahead on the left!”

“What’s going on?” Siren yelled running after them.

“We’re after a thief! He might be from Team Rocket!” Silver yelled.

“Does that mean I get to slice him?” Siren asked hopefully. She grinned when Silver nodded. “Let’s go!”

“We’re chasing a bad guy?” Calvin said excitedly as Tobias flew alongside Saylee, Silver and Patrick.

“Yep,” Saylee said. “Right there! The large building! Alec, Zeb, Siren, Mag and Mary, surround the building!”

“Just do it!” Silver yelled as his Pokémon looked quizzically at him. Mary shot off immediately. Tobias shot forwards to knock the large double doors open. Peggy ducked down and flew through it just before Patrick ran through.

The man in black was running along the side of the pool. He skidded and scrambled to turn on the damp floor and run in the other direction.

“Hold it!” Patrick yelled, leaping over his head and landing in front of him. He didn’t stop running fast enough and crashed into Patrick’s side. He yelled in pain as his arm brushed the fire mane that wrapped Saylee and Silver; Saylee could smell burnt flesh as he pulled away and threw something at them.

“Look out!” Steve yelled as Peggy circled the thief. He leapt from her back and tackled the object into the pool, where it promptly exploded.

“STEVE!” Peggy screamed as a blast of water was shot into the air. She turned and dove towards the water.

“Calvin, use your bone club!” Saylee screamed. Calvin stood up on Tobias’ back and flung his bone club at the thief, hitting him on the ankles and knocking him to the ground. Saylee and Silver both jumped off of Patrick’s back, landing heavily on the man. Saylee landed on his burned arm, making him scream and curl up in pain.

“What was that noise?” Elizabeth yelled, running into the gym. “Is that the thief?”

“This is him,” Saylee said, getting off of the man. She easily recognized the huge red R on his chest. Silver only got off of him when Tyra picked the man up, dangling him off the ground while he whimpered and clutched at his burned arm.

“Saylee!” Peggy shrieked, splashing desperately in the water as she tried to reach the edge. She managed to pull herself out of the water and flew over, clutching a sodden, limp, dripping bundle of brown and red. “Please… you have to heal him… you…”

“Peggy…” Saylee said as the huge Pidgeot gently set Steve into her arms. He wasn’t moving at all, and Saylee could already tell he never would. “I’m sorry… I can’t, I’m so sorry…”

“He’s gone…?” Tobias asked, flying down to them. Calvin reached out a paw and gently set it on Steve’s head, nodding.

“No… he can’t be…” Peggy sat heavily on the ground, nudging Steve with her beak. “Steve…? Steve, you fool, get up… why did you do that… why…” tears started rolling out of her eyes and down her beak. “St-Steve…”

“He saved us,” Saylee choked out. “If that hadn’t gone off under the water… if it had gone off in our faces, like _he_ clearly intended…” she turned to the captive Rocket with a snarl.

“I am sorry! You not hurt, okay?” the Rocket said desperately. He had a bizarre accent. “I make big mistake! But no matter! Come from Johto my allies will, rescue me and take revenge they will!” he declared proudly.

“Team Rocket is _done_ , you fucking moron,” Silver growled. “You’re just a waste of fucking space!”

“You say what?” the Rocket gasped. “Team Rocket are bye-bye a gone?!”

“Yes,” Saylee snapped, hugging Steve close. “ _We_ destroyed them so they couldn’t hurt any more people or Pokémon. You’re _done_.”

“No…” the man sagged, staring sadly at the floor.

“Why did you steal the machine part?” Elizabeth demanded.

“Think I did, if I stop the energy, then big panic and unlucky for people it would be.” the Rocket muttered. “My mission very important it is.”

“Did you get him?” Siren called as the Pokemon that had been surrounding the building came running in through the front and back doors of the gym. “Can I slice him?”

“Yes,” Silver snapped.

“He’s a captive now, so no slicing,” Elizabeth said, picking up her radio. “Roy, we have him. He’s at Misty’s pool. Where’s the machine part?” she demanded.

“I tell no,” the Rocket snapped.

“The parts of the machine are hidden there,” Alec said, pointing his right spoon at a rubber inner tube and levitating a lump of black metal and computer chips out of the middle of it. “It is high in a thief’s mind. A Magneton might stay away from such delicate circuitry,” he added pointedly to Mag.

“What’re you going to do to him?” Silver asked, looking from the Rocket to Steve with a scowl. “Something bad, I hope.”

“He can work on the plantations up in the hills,” Elizabeth said as a middle-aged man came running through the door. Saylee recognized him from her first time in Cerulean as well. “Roy! We can take this part back to the Power Plant in the morning. Thank you for all of your help!” she added brightly to Saylee. Her smile faded when Saylee didn’t look up Steve’s corpse.

“Patrick,” Saylee said softly, “we need to take Steve out and cremate him. We can take him back to Lavender and make sure that the Radio Tower lot haven’t been by…”

“Alec and I can teleport him there immediately, okay?” Tobias suggested. Alec bowed his head in agreement. Saylee nodded, getting up and walking past Elizabeth and Roy with Steve cradled in her arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a wild Graveller surviving a Surf by about 2hp and then using Explosion. Fuck my life.
> 
> Name: Calvin. Species: Cubone. Nature: Sassy. Ability: Lightningrod. Location: Rock Tunnel. Level: 13
> 
> RIP Steve the Furret, level 3-51


	64. Chapter 64

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 22 
> 
> Deaths: 9

“I feel like a new trainer again,” Saylee sighed, watching the fire on Patrick’s back burn as the Rapidash curled up to sleep in the lee of Misty’s gym. She wondered if Steve’s funeral pyre had already been lit in Lavender Town. “Like a kid who felt like she couldn’t keep a Pokémon alive for five minutes. Losing Shuuya yesterday, and Steve today…” She hunched up, dropping her head into her hands.

“Don’t be an idiot,” Silver grumbled. His voice was thick, but he resolutely refused to cry or give any sign that he wanted to. “You shouldn’t be allowed to use shit that explodes. That was _cheating_. But he’s a bit of Team Rocket scum, so I guess being cheating scum is his job.”

“Thanks,” Saylee said, acknowledging the attempt at comfort and putting an arm around him. “We caught the guy. Steve would be proud of that…”

“He would,” Peggy agreed, settling next to Saylee and staring morosely into the fire. “We did a good bit of police work with Falkner, you know. Caught poachers and thieves and Rockets… we were going to battle together forever.”

“Oh, Peggy,” Saylee said, hugging her. Peggy nuzzled against Saylee, large tears rolling from her eyes.

“He might just have looked like a common little Furret, but he was special, Saylee,” she cried. “Like he was invincible. Like nothing could ever happen to him. _I_ felt invincible when I fought with him. Watching him die… it was like watching the sun burn out. I don’t feel invincible any more. I’m so scared…”

“I’m so sorry, Peggy,” Saylee said, squeezing her Pidgeot and crying herself. “If you’d stayed in Johto with Falkner…”

“You’d have lost to Lance,” Peggy interrupted. “In fact, both you and your brother might have been killed by those Graveller. Don’t blame yourself for this, Saylee, it was our choice. I won’t cry over _if only we’d_ … what frightens me now is how real and immediate death seems. And even more… I’m frightened that my fear will hold me back. That when the time comes to do the right thing when I face danger, I won’t be fearless. I will be afraid, and as a result I won’t be able to protect anyone…” she hung her head. “I j-just don’t want… to let Steve down…”

“You won’t,” Saylee told her. “Remember what you told Bruno? You are a stone-cold badass. You always have been and always will be. I know you’ll always do the right thing, Peggy, because I believe in you… and I know Steve did too. You meant the world to him.”

“Thank you,” Peggy said softly.

{}

“Hey, liar! Wake up already!”

“Mmph…” Saylee rolled over and gave Silver a push to make him stop poking her repeatedly in the arm. “Silver, it’s still dark…” she said vaguely, rubbing her eye and looking up at the sky. It was faintly light, so dawn was soon, but it certainly wasn’t time to be awake yet.

“Yeah, but your stupid crap won’t stop buzzing and it’s annoying me,” Silver grumbled, wiggling back down into his own sleeping bag. Mag floated over and dropped Saylee’s bag on her lap as she sat up and groped for her glasses.

“Whoops,” she muttered, noticing that the pocket of her bag with her Pokédex in it was flashing and buzzing. “Must be urgent…” she pulled out her Pokédex and flipped it open, wondering what who was sending something to her before dawn.

A pokéball appeared on the portpad. It had the glossy sheen of a new pokéball, and it came with no note or explanation of whose it was or where it was coming from. Figuring that the Pokémon inside might be able to explain things, Saylee clicked it open.

A fluffy brown Eevee appeared on the ground in front of her. He shook his head, flicking his ears a little. “Dad _said_ that was odd, but _wow_ ,” he said, looking around in surprise. “One moment, I’m home, next minute… here! Where is here, anyway?”

“Cerulean City,” Saylee said, leaning over and scratching his ears. He closed his eyes and smiled. “Are you one of Elric and Flo’s?”

“That’s right!” the little Eevee said proudly. “My name is Valentino! You’re Saylee, aren’t you?”

“That I am,” Saylee agreed. “Nice to meet you, Valentino. So, what brings you here?”

“Oh! Do you have a water stone?” Valentino asked, hopping up onto her lap and staring pleadingly at her. “I’ve got a message for you. I’ll give it to you if you give me a water stone!”

“Is this thing for _real_?” Silver complained, sitting up and jamming his glasses on so he could glare at the little Eevee with more focus. Valentino yelped and skittered behind Saylee.

“As it happens, I do have a water stone and nothing better to do with it,” Saylee said, digging into the larger pocket of her bag for the smooth blue stone. “You want to be a Vaporeon, do you?”

“Yeah!” Valentino said, staring covetously at the stone. “I mean, Emmie and Fiona and Ed all want to be Flareon like Mum and Jennifer and Elsie want to be Jolteon like Dad, and Mum and Dad are cool and all but am I the only one who wants to do something different with my life?”

“Good for you,” Saylee said with a smile, holding out the water stone to the babbling Eevee. Valentino yelped happily and headbutted it.

He fell back onto the ground, glowing. His fluffy tail flicked out, growing long and smooth. A crest grew up around his head as he grew larger, even as his fluffy brown fur shortened and became sleek and blue. A few moments later, an elegant blue Vaporeon was sitting on the ground before Saylee.

“Well… this is fun,” Valentino said, his voice deeper and smoother than it had been seconds before. He pawed at his crest and craned around to stare at his tail. Then his ears perked up. “Ooooh!” he said excitedly and immediately dissolved into a puddle.

“What the hell!” Silver yelped. “Did he just _melt_?”

“Vaporeon can take on liquid form,” Saylee laughed. The puddle slid up onto her sleeping bag and coalesced back into Valentino. “You’re a fast learner.”

“That was cool and terrifying at the same time,” Valentino said, staring at his paws. “Thanks!”

“Anytime,” Saylee laughed. “So, you had a message…?”

“Oh, yeah.” Valentino scratched his ear thoughtfully. “The tunnel between Pewter and Vermillion is finished. That guy Byron and his Pokémon dug like crazy to finish it. Your mum’s waiting to see you.”

“That’s great!” Saylee said excitedly, standing up and grinning at the rising sun, feeling her spirits lift. “Come on, Silver,” she said, getting her pokéballs out of her bag. “We’re up anyway. Time to go home.”

{}

At Patrick’s speed, they reached Vermillion by midday. Saylee released Valentino as Patrick slowed to a trot past the first houses.

“Patrick, Valentino; Valentino, Patrick,” Saylee said, introducing them. Patrick halted to peer curiously at the new Vaporeon. “Valentino, I’ve never met the guy who’s meeting us. You couldn’t go find him for us, could you?”

“Of course!” Valentino said, flicking his tail and running off. Saylee jumped down from Patrick’s back and helped Silver down, then released her other Pokémon. Calvin immediately climbed into her arms; he was as fond of cuddles as Carrie had been at his age.

“The tunnel to Pewter’s been completed,” she told her Pokémon. “Apparently, mum’s new boyfriend pulled out all the stops to get it done.”

“What do you think he’s like?” Tobias asked, flitting up into the air and peering around.

“Well, Chaz said he’s a good guy,” Saylee said with a shrug. “I hope he is. Mum’s written about him, and she seems to like him…”

“Yeah, but your mum’s last guy was an asshole,” Silver pointed out.

“True,” Saylee sighed. “In which case I’ll kick _his_ ass from here to Johto as well.”

“Saylee!” Valentino called, running up to them. “I found him!”

“Great!” Saylee said, turning to her Pokémon. “Guys, this is Valentino. Valentino, this is Mary, Tobias, Peggy and Calvin…” she set Calvin down to introduce himself and turned back to appraise the man jogging after Valentino.

He was quite tall, just over six feet, and while he wasn’t as buff as the likes of Bruno or Lt Surge, he was solidly built and looked strong. He looked around the same age as Saylee’s mother, though Saylee figured that actually made him a few years older; after meeting people who lived in Johto, she’d come to realize how prematurely aged many Kanto people looked. He was wearing a dusty tank top, grey trousers and boots that were covered in mud and dirt from tunnelling, and a ragged waterproof cloak. He had messy dark purple hair and a scrubby beard. He grinned hugely and waved when he spotted them.

“Byron, right?” Saylee said, waving back.

He nodded. “You must be Saylee!” he boomed. He probably didn’t have a “quiet” voice. “Jo’s told me all about you. Wow, you look just like her, huh? It’s an honour to finally meet you!” He held out his hand.

“It’s good to meet you too,” Saylee said, shaking his hand firmly. Despite his size and strength, he didn’t respond to her grip by trying to crush her hand. _I like this guy already._ “This is my little brother Roark, but call him Silver.”

“Half-brother,” Silver muttered, glaring at Saylee. “Why the hell did you tell him that? If he calls me Roark, zap him, Mag.”

“Heard about you too, kiddo,” Byron laughed, holding his hand out to Silver but not looking particularly put out when the boy ignored it. “Nice to meet you, Silver. Jo’s been looking forward to meeting you too. Hey, is this your Magneton?”

“Uh, yeah,” Silver said, looking surprised.

“I’m a digger by trade, but actually I’m a big fan of steel-types!” Byron said with a big grin at Mag. “It’s good to see such a well-trained Magneton. I guess they don’t evolve here in Kanto, huh?”

“You evolve?” Patrick said to Mag in surprise. Mag just shrugged its magnets.

“You’re from Sinnoh, right?” Saylee asked as they cut across a construction site to get to the entrance to Diglett’s Cave.

“Yep!” Byron said brightly. “My dad runs the Underground Path system there. Digging’s in my blood, and I love it just as much as I love fossils! Hey, do you like fossils, kiddo?” he asked Silver.

“Don’t call me _kiddo_ ,” Silver grumbled. “And how should I know? What the hell are they?”

“Well…” Byron paused to appraise the support struts holding up the cave before stepping inside. “Watch your step. I just dug this thing out, and there’s no proper footing.” Saylee looked over her Pokémon and then returned Peggy and Patrick; Valentino, Tobias, Mary and Calvin were all small enough to fit into the narrow passage. Mary’s tail started to glow, lighting the passage. “Nice! Anyway, a fossil is a Pokémon that died hundreds, thousands, huh, even _millions_ of years ago and was buried underground. It’s been buried for so long its bones turned to stone… like this!” He pulled a brown, oddly-shaped rock out of his pocket. It had a smooth, rounded patch on it like the fossil from which DNA had been extracted to create Saylee’s Kabutops, Kaito. “It’s the fossil of a Pokémon that used to live in Sinnoh called Cranidos. Cool, huh?”

“It doesn’t _totally_ suck,” Silver allowed, turning the fossil over in his hands.

“I think you like it,” Mag said, watching Silver examine the fossil closely.

“Shut up, Mag,” Silver grumbled, holding the fossil out to Byron.

“You keep it,” Byron laughed. “Got something for you too, Saylee.”

“Trying to buy my approval?” Saylee deadpanned.

“Ha! Good one. Here we go!” Byron boomed, pulling a clear, shining stone out of his pocket. “You only find ‘em in rockbeds in Sinnoh. We call ‘em shiny stones ‘cause, well… anyway, thought you might like to have it.”

“It’s beautiful,” Saylee said, holding up the clear, glowing stone. There seemed to be a ball of yellow light right in the middle of it. “What’s that light?”

“Nobody really knows,” Byron said with a shrug. “Nobody’s figured out how to tap into it and use it, and labs have ground them down to powder to try and find out, trust me. It seems to do something to Pokémon sometimes, though…”

“Hey, can I see?” Tobias said, flitting over to touch the stone. The moment he did, his whole body started to glow.

“Toby!” Saylee gasped, flinging her arm over her eyes as the cave filled with bright white light. It was so bright that it even burned through her closed eyelids.

“TOBES!” she heard Mary yell.

Then the light died down.

“I’m fine, Mary… oh.”

 _Is that Tobias_? Saylee wondered, trying to rub dark spots out of her eyes. _Even when he evolved, his voice was still high, like a child’s. That voice is so deep and smooth… soothing…_

“Holy spirits!” Calvin gasped. Saylee stared at Tobias as her vision cleared.

He was much bigger now, almost as tall as Saylee. He was definitely taller than Silver and could probably carry the boy on his back. His body was shaped more like a bird’s, with a squat, round head and body and broad wings. A three-pointed crest had developed on his head, the middle point white like the rest of his body and the right point red and the left blue, like the triangular marks on his stomach. He had broad, white wings that were more proportionate to his body size. He was so white that he glowed, and stared at himself in awe.

“So _that’s_ what it is, huh?” Byron whistled, looking from Tobias to the stone in Saylee’s hand. It no longer glowed, now merely a dull lump of rock.

“What _is_ he?” Saylee asked quietly.

“I think they’re properly called Togekiss,” Byron said thoughtfully. “But the old word for ‘em’s _angel_.”

“It’s _amazin’_!” Mary said happily, hugging Tobias. “’Mon! Let’s get tae open air! I want tae see you _fly_!”

“Yes… I would like to stretch my new wings,” Tobias agreed. Mary hurried off down the tunnel, and Tobias followed, surprisingly quickly for his large bulk and the space restrictions on his wings.

“Hey, she’s the light!” Byron called, running after them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things that happened offscreen: Mary wiping the Cerulean Gym, Patrick killing the Celadon Gym with fire, and NOBODY DYING IN THIS CHAPTER *happy dance*
> 
> Name: Valentino. Species: Eevee/Vaporeon. Nature: Timid. Ability: Run Away/Water Absorb. Location: Celadon City. Level: 15


	65. Chapter 65

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 23 
> 
> Deaths: 9

“Look at you!” Saylee’s mother said happily, pinching her cheeks. “You’ve gained weight! You look so healthy! Oh, it’s good to have you back!” She pulled Saylee into another tight hug.

“I missed you too,” Saylee said, hugging her back and really noticing, for the first time, how thin her mother was. She was so much bonier than Lucy, or Debbie, or Helen.

Her mother smiled brightly. She looked happier in general, and more energetic than Saylee had ever seen her. “You must be Silver,” she said, letting go of Saylee and leaning down to smile at Silver. He automatically crossed his arms and glared at her, but she just smiled. “It’s nice to meet you. Saylee’s written a lot about you—even before she knew she was your sister, silly girl! Would you like some lunch?”

“No,” Silver immediately responded.

“As if you’re ever not hungry,” Saylee said, grabbing his hand and tugging him over to the lunch stall. “C’mon, you’re having some anyway.”

“Quite right,” Saylee’s mother said, going around her rickety little stall made out of several planks of wood nailed into a table and a large portable gas stove next to a freezer chest full of ingredients. A large pot of thick, hot soup was bubbling on the stove. Johanna grabbed some bowls off of the top of the freezer chest and started doling soup out into them. “You’re a growing boy in Kanto—you should know better than to turn down free food!”

“…Fine,” Silver said, showing every outward sign of reluctance as he hopped up onto a stool, at least until a steaming bowl of soup was set down in front of him. He immediately began scarfing it down.

“At least he can’t steal any,” Mag pointed out to Saylee. Silver glared at it. Mag drifted away to chat with Patrick, who kept glancing at Peggy as she chatted to Calvin but seemed unwilling to go over to her. Peggy was still down after Steve’s death and Saylee knew that Patrick was worried about her, but she only really seemed to want to talk to little Calvin. Tobias and Mary had flown off a while ago so Tobias could show Mary more of the area.

“Resistance is futile against Jo’s soup!” Byron laughed, winking at Saylee’s mother, who smiled and actually _blushed_. Saylee found it very weird and slightly cute at the same time.

Instead of sitting on one of the mismatched stools, Saylee stepped around the stall and leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder from behind, the way she did when she was very small and her mother carried her on her back. “By the way…” she whispered. “I like him.”

Johanna smiled. “I’m glad,” she murmured. “So do I.”

Saylee leaned forwards to kiss her mother on the cheek, then picked up the bowl of soup her mother gave her and went back to sit down.

“So, where in Sinnoh are you from, Byron?” she asked.

“Eh, all over really,” Byron said, squeezing Johanna’s hand when she brought him a bowl. “I work out of Oreburgh just now, but I’m thinking of moving to Canalave when I go back…”

They chatted for a while over lunch. As soon as he was done eating, Silver wandered off and let his Pokémon out to train with them. Saylee saw her mother go after him and chat to him.

“She really has wanted to meet him,” Byron said, smiling fondly. “She’s amazing. Not that many people can actually think kindly of their ex’s kids…”

“Well, neither of us like her ex,” Saylee sighed, smiling nevertheless at the sight of her mother and half-brother actually seeming to hold a civilized conversation. Her mother was smiling and stroking Zeb’s ears. “Plus, she likes kids. All kids, no matter how difficult they are. Usually, if a kid’s problematic, she doesn’t get pissed off at the kid, she gets pissed off at their _parents_ … she thinks all kids are good kids on the inside.”

“She hasn’t said much about her ex-husband, except that she can’t remember what he looks like, but if she never sees him again it’ll be too soon,” Byron said, looking quizzically at Saylee.

“Can’t blame her for that,” Saylee said, running her finger around her soup bowl for droplets. She wasn’t up to talking about her father to anyone until she’d talked about him to her mother first. Besides, she liked Byron but didn’t know him that well yet, and she wanted to be sure that knowing that his girlfriend’s ex was a wanted criminal overlord wouldn’t scare him off before letting him know.

“Silver’s really different these days,” Mag said, floating up next to Saylee. “I’m always with him, so I can see it clearly. He’s not as suspicious. He’s scared to like people.” Its eyes curved in a smiling way. “Thanks to you.”

“Why _are_ you always out, Mag?” Saylee asked. “I’ve been wondering for a while… I don’t think I’ve ever seen Silver put you in a pokéball.”

“Pokéballs hurt,” Mag said with a wince.

“You’re allergic?” Saylee realized. She vaguely remembered reading something, once, in a book about caring for different Pokémon types, how some electric-types didn’t respond well to pokéballs. Perhaps it was something to do with the electricity in them, but the result was that they had something akin to an allergic reaction when placed inside a pokéball. Some of them were severe enough to die when released from a pokéball, so the book had warned her to be on the lookout for signs.

“The first time I came out of my pokéball hurting, he griped and complained about me being weak,” Mag recalled uncomfortably. “I was scared he was going to get rid of me… my last trainer did that… but Silver didn’t! He trained us really hard, but when we were done, he didn’t put me in a pokéball. When I asked if we was going to, he told me off for being dumb and that was it.”

“He seems like a good kid,” Byron said, grinning at Mag.

“He is, no matter what he says,” Saylee agreed, smiling widely at Silver, who looked confused and slightly apprehensive when he caught her look.

“Lee! LEE!”

“They’re back!” Saylee said, getting up to see Tobias and Mary flying down towards them. Tobias didn’t seem to fly so much as float quickly; he was graceful and elegant, not as fluttery as he had been as a Togetic.

Someone else was flying with them. Saylee grinned widely. “CHAZ!” she hollered, waving. Byron did a double-take as the huge armoured Charizard landed in front of Saylee and she hugged him.

“Holy sh—” he cut himself off sharply as he noticed Johanna and Silver coming up to them. “It’s that huge orange Pokémon!”

“This is Chaz,” Saylee said happily. “He’s a Charizard. He was my first Pokémon. Chaz, have you met Byron?”

“Only seen him. Nice to meet you,” Chaz said, nodding to Byron. “Welcome back, Saylee!”

“ _You_ trained him?” Byron said, gaping. “I’ve seen him flying around the mountain, but… wow!”

“Yep,” Saylee said, winking. “Now you know just how lucky you are that I like you. How are you, Chaz? How are the Charmander?”

“Want to come see?” Chaz asked with a grin. “I haven’t let any humans visit them yet, but I trust you. I’m sure Professor Oak would love to hear from you.”

“Sounds awesome!” Saylee said happily.

“We seen ‘em awready!” Mary said excitedly. “They’re sae wee! I cannae believe this big yin wis ever that wee!”

“Peggy, do you and Calvin want to come?” Saylee called to her Pokémon. “Patrick, I can return you and take you up in your pokéball if you like.”

“Why not,” Peggy said with a somewhat apathetic shrug. _Hopefully this’ll help her break out of her listlessness… but if not, she just needs time. I know that feeling. I’ve learned to push through the hopelessness, but Peggy… she’s never lost anyone she loved before. She was there at Georgia’s death, but she hadn’t seen her for so long and barely knew her… I know how that feeling hurts. I can only hope that praying with Calvin helps her find closure…_

“We can’t take too many people,” Chaz said warningly. “I’d rather not take any humans but you, to be honest. When they first hatched in the lab, they were rather badly frightened by how excited the people working on it were… Professor Oak distracted them with gene maps while I flew off with the hatchlings,” he laughed. “According to the Professor, they want to come up to the mountain to study them, but I’ve told them that anyone who comes up before I think they’re ready had better have a burn heal bath waiting for them at home.”

“You’re so protective,” Saylee giggled. “Silver?” she called. “I’m going up the mountain with Chaz. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“Whatever,” Silver said, walking over to Byron. “Hey, my Pokémon want to know: what the hell kind of dumb Pokémon is a Cranidos anyway?”

“I think he’ll be fine,” Tobias said, smiling and spreading his wings as Saylee climbed onto Chaz’s back.

“So, how’re you enjoying being a dad?” Saylee asked as they flew into the air, headed for Mt Moon.

“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Chaz said wryly. “Keeping them in charcoal to eat and preventing them from falling off a cliff seems to work. There’s fifteen of them, all six weeks old now. We live with a group of Clefairy and Clefable. My Steel Wing keeps them safe from the rock-types in the mountain, and they help me figure out what the hell I’m doing!”

“I’m so proud of you, Chaz,” Saylee said, hugging him. “I can’t wait to see them!”

The shape of the mountain was noticeably different thanks to the extensive collapsing of the caves during the earthquakes. Tobias, Chaz and Peggy flew over gangs of diggers and their Pokémon returning to their work after lunch and headed to a new plateau on the side of the mountain. A small lake had formed in a depression in the middle of the plateau. Several tiny pink Clefairy were playing in it, splashing in the water, watched over by a matronly Clefable. They waved to Chaz as he landed.

“Where are the ‘manders, Carla?” Chaz asked the Clefable.

“In there,” she said, pointing to one of the caves in the mountainside. “They said we were splashing too much and went inside to play Growl.”

Saylee dismounted from Chaz’s back. Mary and Calvin also jumped to the ground, looking around curiously at the little plateau of rock. Parts of it looked to have been scraped out by Chaz’s claws and wings. She released Patrick as Chaz roared into the cave.

“Chaz!”

“Chaz is back!”

“CHAZ!”

A group of Charmander and Clefairy came running out of the cave. Saylee saw Chaz count all fifteen of the Charmander before leaning his head down to accept their hugs of greeting. One of them noticed Saylee and yelped, scrambling back away from her and hiding on the far side of Chaz. Saylee stood still and silent, hands by her sides, waiting on Chaz.

“Everyone, this is Saylee,” Chaz explained, nodding to her. “She was my trainer, back when I was a little Charmander like all of you.”

“ _You’re_ S’lee?” one little girl said in surprise. “You’re so _little_.”

“So’re _you_ , wee yin,” Mary laughed.

“Humans don’t get very big, Charlotte,” Chaz said, nudging the little one towards Saylee. “Saylee, this is Charlotte. And these are…” he pointed to each of the Charmander in turn. “Chico, Callista, Charles, Carmen, Chad, Caledonia—we call her Cally—Cedric, Caymile, Calix, Callida, Cade, Caera, Cahil and Carlotta.”

Saylee smiled, waving at each of them in turn and trying to remember their names, but she’d never seen more than one Charmander together before and wasn’t even entirely sure how you told males from females. “You’re all so sweet,” she said, kneeling down and holding out her hand. Charlotte tentatively took it.

“Chaz says you’re sweet too,” Charlotte said shyly. “’Cept when you’re mad.”

Saylee laughed. Chaz grinned nervously. “Do you like Chaz?” she asked, sitting down and putting Charlotte on her lap. She was very warm, and her hide was soft. Saylee could remember Chaz’s hide being this soft once, a long time ago.

“Oh, yes! He’s so _strong_!” Charlotte said excitedly. “He always protects us, and he lets us fly on his back, and he says that maybe, one day, we’ll grow up into big strong ‘zards like him and then _we’ll_ fly too!” She flapped her little arms excitedly.

“Silly, nobody’s big and strong as _Chaz_ ,” one of the boys—Cedric, Saylee thought it might be—said, approaching Saylee tentatively. The Charmander were edging closer to Saylee, curious about this new creature who was interacting nicely with Charlotte.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Saylee giggled, grinning at Chaz. “I remember when Chaz was little like you, and I could carry him in my arms. Look at him now!”

“Now _I_ can carry _you_ ,” Chaz said, smiling as the Charmander started to relax and grow a little less skittish. Some of them were edging towards Calvin and Peggy, and a couple were reaching up to Patrick’s flame tail. “How about you introduce your Pokémon? I only know Toby and Mary, although I barely recognized Toby…”

{}

“They _worship_ you,” Saylee laughed about an hour later, leaning up against Chaz while the rest of her Pokémon played with the little Charmander and Clefairy. Peggy had cheered up somewhat, getting to show off for the little ones, and Saylee was heartened to see that Calvin was getting the chance to play around with other children, getting into a spirited game of tag with several of them. The newly-evolved Tobias was no longer as playful, but casting a gentle, watchful eye over all, one wing gently wrapped around Mary to prevent her from sending possessive sparks at a gaggle of giggling Clefable.

Chaz dipped his head bashfully. “We’re getting along alright,” he said modestly. “I’ve managed to keep them all alive and happy. That’s an achievement I’m proud of.”

“I’m really proud of you,” Saylee said, hugging him. “I’m sorry I still haven’t found Ben…”

“I know you’re still looking,” Chaz said, hugging her back between his head and shoulder. “I _know_ you’ll find them sooner or later. You won’t stop looking. That’s why I did.”

“Chaz!” Tobias called sharply. Chaz and Saylee looked up to see an unusually concerned expression on his face. “The children are in danger…”

Chaz looked around the happily playing youngsters. “In danger? What do you…” he looked sharply up the mountain.

At first, Saylee thought boulders were crashing down towards them, the thought of a landslide making her heart stop. It didn’t get much better when she recognized the uniform size, shape and colour of the boulders. A gang of Graveller was rolling down the slope of the mountain towards them, with a huge, scarred Golem leading the pack.

“It’s Gregor!” Chaz bellowed. “Everyone to the island!” He flicking out his wings sharply, turning them harder than steel, buffed up by his armour. Clefairy and Clefable were floating up into the air on their tiny wings, picking up Charmander to carry across the water to the small island in the middle. Mary started lifting Charmander onto Tobias’ back.

 _I left Valentino with Mum_ , Saylee realized, groping for his pokéball only to remember that the newly-evolved Vaporeon was very fond of her mother and had elected to stay behind and show off his new abilities to her. _I don’t have anything to back Chaz up with it…_ he didn’t seem to be in any desperate need of backup, however, ploughing into the Graveller with his Steel Wing and taking out several with a single blow. “Peggy!” She yelled, spotting Calvin and three Charmander backing up against the cliff wall rather than moving towards the lake. “Get them to the island!”

“Of course!” Peggy called, swooping down and picking up one of the Charmander in her talons. Before it could climb onto her back, a Graveller struck her hard from behind.

“PEGGY!” Saylee screamed, running towards her. “Calvin!”

“Lee!” Patrick called, running to intercept her. He ducked his head, allowing her to grab his horn and neck and swing herself up onto his back a second before a Graveller rolled over where she had been.

“We need to get those children!” Saylee yelled, pointing to the trio of Charmander huddling behind Calvin. He was standing protectively in front of them, arms held out and bone club gripped firmly as a weapon. A Clefable tried to reach them, but was knocked aside as a second Graveller struck her and the pair began to roll straight towards the children. “NO!”

Peggy shrieked angrily as she flew directly in between the Graveller and the children, taking the full force of the blow. Both Graveller bounced off-course and missed the children entirely, at the cost of horrific cracks from Peggy’s ribs and left wing. Patrick took the opportunity to leap over to the children and lean down to allow them to scramble onto his back.

“Peggy!” Saylee yelled, twisting around to return Peggy while hauling up a terrified Charmander. Peggy saw the pokéball in her hand and lurched out of the way of the connection beam, unable to fly with a badly broken wing and breathing harshly.

“Don’t! He’ll hit you!” she screeched as one of the Graveller aimed again at Patrick, who was trying to help the last Charmander scramble up his neck and couldn’t move yet. Peggy moved instead, striking it with her wings. She knocked it to the ground, wounding it, but not so much that it couldn’t grab her and smash her into the ground.

“ _PEGGY_!” Saylee screamed at the sound of a sickeningly familiar _crunch_.  “Calvin, no!” she cried as Calvin leapt from Patrick’s back just as the Rapidash started to run.

“She protected us!” Calvin yelled, spinning his bone club. “I’ll protect her! HAH!” He leapt up as the Graveller rolled towards him and smashed his bone club into its head.

Sand and stone fragments went flying as the Graveller collapsed. Calvin landed and flung his bone club, taking out two Graveller who were trying to jump Chaz from behind as he slashed his wings at the Golem.

“Everybody get on, then return Patrick!” Tobias ordered, meeting them on the lakeside. The Charmander scrambled onto his back, but when Saylee dismounted and returned Patrick she stayed on land.

“I have to go see to Peggy!” she yelled, running along the edge of the lake, knowing that the Graveller wouldn’t dare attack her for fear of falling in. They were falling back anyway; most were fleeing Calvin’s bone club, which seemed to be everywhere at once, and the psychic attacks of a couple of the Clefable. Chaz and the large Golem, Gregor, circled one another and growled.

“Peggy…” Saylee called, kneeling next to her and holding out her pokéball. It didn’t work, and Saylee could see why. She knew what a Pidgeot looked like with a broken neck.

 _Shuuya… Steve… now_ this… Saylee pulled off her glasses, pressing her hand to her eyes as her head spun. Then she turned around, facing away from Peggy’s body, and threw up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was actually fucking ridiculous. This was a trainer’s Clefable that used Metronome and came up with… Explosion. I shit you not. That’s a hat-trick of Explosion deaths infic, and ingame that was four in a row.
> 
> RIP Peggy the Pidgeot, level 4-51
> 
> I also ran around catching tons of Pokemon at this time, so let’s just list ‘em all here…
> 
> Name: Mauro. Species: Meowth. Nature: Adamant. Ability: Technician. Location: Route 8. Level: 17
> 
> Name: Maki. Species: Magnemite. Nature: Careful. Ability: Magnet Pull. Location: Route 6. Level: 15
> 
> Name: Sadie. Species: Snorlax. Nature: Hardy. Ability: Immunity. Location: Route 11. Level: 50
> 
> Name: Vanessa. Species: Venonat. Nature: Hasty. Ability: Compoundeyes. Location: Route 24. Level: 8
> 
> Name: Orwell. Species: Oddish. Nature: Impish. Ability: Chlorophyll. Location: Route 25. Level: 10
> 
> Name: Nicki. Species: Nidoran F. Nature: Rash. Ability: Poison Point. Location: Route 15. Level: 23
> 
> Name: Sumiko. Species: Spearow. Nature: Hasty. Ability: Keen Eye. Location: Route 3 West. Level: 5
> 
> Name: Emma. Species: Ekans. Nature: Impish. Ability: Intimidate. Location: Route 3 East. Level: 8


	66. Chapter 66

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 31 
> 
> Deaths: 10

“ENOUGH!”

Chaz looked up. He’d barely recognized the newly evolved Tobias when he’d come flying up the mountain with Mary, and if he hadn’t known it was Tobias he certainly wouldn’t have realized it now. The Togekiss was floating over them, wings spread and glowing a brilliant, almost blinding white. Something was radiating from him that calmed Chaz. He saw Gregor relaxing as well, and Gregor was _never_ relaxed.

“This is foolish and pointlessly brutal,” Tobias said sternly, turning a glare from Chaz to Gregor.

“Foolish?! They stole our territory!” Gregor snapped.

“ _Your_ territory?” Chaz snarled. “This mountain once belonged to _my_ kind!”

“Your kind are _DEAD_!” Gregor roared.

“Not anymore!” Tobias interjected. Chaz had been about to smash Gregor in half, but something in Tobias’ voice calmed him. “There is room enough on this mountain for both of you! You don’t even eat the same food! This dispute is pointless and has only taken innocent lives!”

 _I’ve known that kid since he hatched,_ Chaz thought wonderingly, staring at Tobias. _So why do_ I _feel like a child being scolded?_

“…keep your shitty little slab, then,” Gregor muttered, backing away. “C’mon, let’s get outta here.”

Tobias smiled gently. “Good,” he said. Gregor stared at him for a moment, then nodded and rolled away, the last few members of his gang in tow.

“What’d you just do?” Chaz asked, staring at Tobias.

“He had… too much pride in his heart and too little sympathy,” Tobias said. “I rebalanced them.” He looked thoughtful. “Apparently, I can do that now.” He frowned. “We ought to go to Saylee…”

Chaz turned around to see the worst moment of his life replaying itself. Saylee was hunched over a broken bundle of feathers on the ground. _Pedro_!

“Peggy!” Calvin yelled, running over to them. Chaz vaguely noticed that the little Cubone had evolved into a taller Marowak. Déjà vu hit him again as the Marowak knelt to prayer over the Pidgeot.

Chaz followed Tobias in half a daze, crouching next to Saylee and putting his claw on her arm comfortingly. _When I first met her, I could just about wrap my claws around her little finger. Now I could just about get them around her whole body…_

“I think Chip took my luck with him,” Saylee said hoarsely, stroking Peggy’s crest repeatedly. _She did the same thing when Pedro died. Sparta, too…_ “Three deaths in four days…”

“It’s not your fault, Saylee,” Tobias said gently. Saylee laughed bitterly, but then she smiled.

“The worst thing…” she said softly, “…is that there’s a way in which I’m… _happy_ for her. She was so scared of her courage failing her in the pinch…” she kissed Peggy’s beak. “You saved our lives, Peggy, and those children… you were so, so _brave_ …” her voice broke again. “B-but… you should’ve let me return you… you dumb tailfeather…”

{}

The Charmander all gathered around Peggy as Chaz prepared to burn her. Patrick and Calvin stuck close to her, but Tobias hung back with Mary. She hugged him, and he buried his face in her shoulder.

“There, there, Tobes,” Mary said gently, patting the crest of soft feathers on top of his head. “Not like you tae be so doon…”

“It’s not Peggy’s death, terrible though that feels to say,” Tobias said softly. “It’s all of the new _powers_ that come with this form… I rearranged that Golem’s _heart_ , Mary. I altered his _feelings_. It was for a good reason, but… then I was tempted to do the same for Saylee. I could’ve wiped it all away, the loss and hurt…”

“Aye, but she’d’ve never forgiven you fae that,” Mary pointed out. Tobias nodded.

“…but I could’ve _made_ her,” he said quietly. “It’s a frightening power, being able to… _control_ people like that…”

“Then we’re well lucky it’s a sweetie like you that’s got it, eh?” Mary said, kissing him on the cheek. “I trust ye, Tobes. ‘Mon. Let’s go pray fae Peggy.”

{}

“We should get going,” Saylee sighed, watching the embers of the funeral pyre die down.

“Do you have that feeling too?” Tobias asked. Saylee nodded.

“Much as I wish I could stop to grieve…” she looked at her watch. It would be sundown in an hour; anyone not staying overnight in Pewter would be leaving soon, if they hadn’t left already. “I feel like we need to go down there…”

“I’m big enough to carry Saylee,” Tobias volunteered, spreading his wings. “You needn’t leave the young ones undefended.”

“You’re welcome to visit any time,” Chaz said, hugging Saylee between his head and shoulder.

“We will,” Saylee promised, stepping back. “I’ll return Mary, Calvin and Patrick…”

“Come back soon, ‘kay?” Charlotte said as she and a few of the other Charmander hugged at Saylee’s legs and Tobias’ feathery chest.

“We will,” Saylee promised again, patting them on the head and stepping back. When she climbed onto Tobias’ back, she was startled to find that it felt less like sitting on his back and more like floating over it.

“Always full of surprises, aren’t you, Toby?” she laughed.

“Tell me about it,” Tobias sighed. “Goodbye, everyone!”

“Safe flight,” Chaz called. Saylee waved to him, the Charmander and the Clefs as Tobias spread his wings and flew.

“You’re fast, Toby,” Saylee gasped as they zoomed down towards Pewter. Despite his speed, Saylee wasn’t feeling any windchill. They seemed to be wrapped in a bubble of warm, protective light.

“I’m worried,” Tobias said. “It doesn’t feel like _danger,_ more like…” he peered back at Saylee. “And you had a feeling, too. The last time you had a _feeling_ , it concerned Ethan, didn’t it?”

Saylee nodded. _The geisha said that the more I protected, the more power would find me. I guess this is part of it…_

Most of the day stalls were disassembled by the time they descended on Pewter. Her mother’s portable gas stove and freezer chest were tied together and being carried on the back of a yellow-and-grey quadruped that Saylee had never seen before. It had a square, flat head and large fangs. Her mother and Byron were standing next to it, arguing with Silver.

“They’re back, crisis over,” she heard Tyra call. Tobias landed, and Saylee hopped off of his back. Silver immediately grabbed her arm.

“They were gonna leave _without_ you!” he raged.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that normally we leave with the others… safety in numbers when travelling through the forest, you know,” her mother said nervously. “I knew you’d be alright with your Pokémon.”

“No, I understand,” Saylee insisted. “Silver, it’s fine. I know my way to Pallet from here.”

“She’s your _mum_ , though,” Silver complained. “She shouldn’t want to leave you _behind_!”

“Oh, Silver…” Saylee leaned down and gave him a hug. “Don’t worry. I’m sorry I’m late back… something happened on Mt Moon…” she rubbed her eyes; they still felt hot and itchy from crying.

“Graveller gangs, eh?” Byron asked. Saylee nodded, letting Silver go and straightening up. “They’re the curse of the mountains, they really are. This lot keeps having territorial disputes with us, with your friend Chaz…”

“You should find the Golem Gregor a little more amiable now,” Tobias said softly. “However, they killed our Peggy first…”

“Oh my goodness,” Saylee’s mother gasped, immediately wrapping her arms around her. “Oh, Saylee… I’m so sorry…”

“It’ll be okay,” Saylee said, holding her mother. “C’mon. We should get back to Pallet before it gets dark…”

“Even if it’s dark, though, we can see where we’re going with this thing,” Silver said, putting his hand in his pocket and pulling out something gold and glowing. Saylee and Tobias looked sharply at each other before looking back to the feather.

“Silver, can I see that?” Saylee asked, holding her hand out for it. Silver shrugged and handed it over. Saylee and Tobias peered closely at it.

Though the feather glowed gold, the actual feather was every colour of the rainbow, going from white at the hilt to violet and then through all of the colours until it hit red and gold at the tip. It was warm.

“It’s time,” Tobias said quietly. “Ho-oh’s decided.”

“Not immediately,” Saylee replied, clenching the feather before slowly handing it back to a suspicious-looking Silver. “Not yet.”

{}

It was late that night. Byron, after unpacking Johanna’s things from the back of his Pokémon (a Bastiodon called Sakhir, he’d said) had shaken Saylee and Silver’s hands, kissed Johanna on the cheek and left back for Pewter, stating that “as a miner, I’m perfectly happy in the dark!” Given how strong his Pokémon were, Saylee was sure he’d be alright. She’d hugged everyone hello, listened to Daisy babble with an evil grin about how happy Blue had been to hear she was coming back (although he wasn’t around at the moment, he’d gone to check our rumours of something being on Cinnabar Island, the jerk) and eaten what seemed like the best sandwich she’d ever had for dinner. The new house was much nicer than the old shack; it was still two rooms stacked on top of each other, but it was made from strong steel foundations and solid concrete, with actual windows with glass in them and everything. There were no leaks, the stairs didn’t creak under her feet, and there was even an electric light installed. After Saylee convinced Silver to go sleep, she and her mother sat up talking about anything and everything.

“When Blue found the photo, well, obviously it was a huge shock,” Johanna sighed. “I could tell that it was Red and myself in the photo, but I honestly can’t even remember what Giovanni looks like, so when Blue told me who he was…”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” Saylee said, but her mother shook her head.

“You know dear, I’m a big girl, I can handle my emotional trauma,” Johanna said with a soft smile. “I honestly couldn’t believe it at first, and then I was so _angry_ at him for being… well, _him_. You know?”

“Yeah,” Saylee agreed. “I know that feeling.”

Her mother tapped her left finger where her ring used to sit. “You know things have never been easy. Constantly scraping for food for both of you… even if I couldn’t remember anything except constant hunger and having to sell to feed my children, it still… it felt like I’d lost something. And when I saw this ring, I guess I… had this fantasy, that somewhere out there was a husband who was a loving father to my children and together with him I’d easily be able to provide for you and… I don’t know.”

“Mum, honestly, after seeing how much better off Johto is and how Kanto used to be, I couldn’t blame anyone having lived like that for needing a little fantasy to get them through.”

“Thank you, dear,” her mother said with a smile. “Then that was smashed in the worst possible way, and I was so angry at him, and furious at _myself_ for having ever married a man like him… After all, I must have loved him at some point…”

“Maybe he changed,” Saylee suggested, leaning against her mother’s side. “I’m sure a lot of people did when they lost their memories and started new lives.”

“I suppose…” Johanna wrapped her arms around her daughter. “But that doesn’t matter anymore. What matters to me now is you and Red… and little Silver too.” She sighed. “Poor child. Among Team Rocket is no way for a child to grow up.”

“Thank you for being patient with him,” Saylee said gratefully. “He can be difficult…”

“He can’t help it, the poor boy’s frightened of people,” Johanna said, shaking her head. “That’s why he’s so angry and aggressive. Children learn what they live, and with the people he’s lived with, I’m not surprised that he’s learned to fight back before he’s attacked.”

“Oh, wow, you’ve got him pegged,” Saylee laughed.

“What I don’t understand is that odd feather,” Johanna said thoughtfully. “It floated down out of the sky and went directly to his feet…” she looked down at her daughter. “And you certainly didn’t seem happy when you saw it. What is it?”

“It belongs to the god-Pokémon Ho-oh,” Saylee sighed. “And it’s… a long story.”

“My daughter’s finally come home, do you think I’m letting her leave again anytime soon?” Johanna laughed, tightening her arms around Saylee. “Tell me your long story, please. I can tell it’s worrying you.”

“…I’m in so far over my head that I can’t even see the surface anymore, Mum,” Saylee whispered. “I got knighted by the dragon clan and I don’t even know what that means… I just wanted their help finding Red. And apparently I’ve attracted the attention of the god-Pokémon, and I have to protect their ‘Chosen Ones’… well, I don’t _have_ to, but how the hell can I not when they keep choosing _children?_ ”

“Is Silver in danger?” her mother asked, alarmed.

“Well, not so much in danger as…” Saylee sighed. “It’s already happened once. A little boy named Ethan…”

{}

Three days later, Blue still hadn’t returned and more and more raiding groups were attacking on the way to and from Pewter. Zarina, a Zubat whom Saylee had been training to replace Peggy, was killed by an ambush on the third day, less than an hour after evolving into a Crobat.

A Nidorina called Nicki then agreed to train with Saylee in exchange for a moon stone and food for her two Nidoran sisters. While Johanna worked the food stand, Saylee and Silver roamed around the edges of Pewter, training and taking out raiders.

“Kanto’s a dangerous yin, in’t it?” Mary sighed, watching the last of a group of raiders flee. The gang had been hiding out in one of the earthquake-related fissure craters to the east of Pewter. Nicki and Calvin had fought quite enthusiastically together; Nicki was immensely proud of being a Nidoqueen and had taken keenly to Calvin’s ideals of “fighting bad guys”.

Entei ran down the side of the mountain as soon as the raiders were gone, and Silver and his Pokémon immediately began training against her, as they did every time she showed up. The Beast had taken to constantly lurking nearby ever since Silver found the rainbow feather. Saylee had found prints that looked like Raikou’s in the area, too, although the Lightning Beast hadn’t shown herself and there was no sign of Suicune at all.

“It’s better than it used to be, but still…” Saylee sighed, checking her pokégear, which had been showing a signal all day; the radio tower setup in Saffron must have been completed. “I wish Blue had a phone. He shouldn’t have been away this long. I’m worried.”

“The raiders going for Viridian are getting bolder without Blue around,” Tobias said. “They seem to think they’ll be able to steal more without him around to fight them. We could go stay in Viridian full-time instead of escorting your mother and the other merchants back and forth, or we could go find Blue…”

“To be honest, I prefer the option where Blue is definitely home and safe,” Saylee said, fidgeting with her snowflake necklace. She got up and walked to the edge of the crater. “Silver!”

“What do you want?” Silver yelled back, not taking his eyes off of Siren and Zeb while they practiced dodging flamethrowers from Entei.

“I’m going looking for Blue,” she called. “Are you going to stay here?”

“Well, _I_ don’t wanna look for him,” Silver grumbled. “He’s an asshole.”

“Well, if you’re staying here, you need to promise to stay with Mum,” Saylee said, walking down the crater towards him. “Please, _please_ don’t run off anywhere. I don’t have to tell you how much more dangerous Kanto is than Johto. I know you have your Pokémon, but…”

“I don’t just have my Pokémon, who are more awesome than anything out here,” Silver said, pointing at Entei. “I’ve got Entei and Raikou too.”

“Yeah, this is aimed at you too,” Saylee said pointedly to Entei. “Don’t you _dare_ take him away anywhere without me, got it? I want him to stay in my mum’s sight at all times.”

“Where’s she gonna take me?” Silver said, rolling his eyes. “You should just stay here if you’re so worried.”

“I can’t, Silver,” Saylee sighed. “I need to know Blue’s safe.”

“ _Fine,_ then,” Silver spat. “Go and disappear like your dumb boyfriend!”

“I’m not going to disappear,” Saylee promised, giving him a one-armed shoulder hug, which he made a halfhearted attempt to shrug off. “I promise I’ll come back. When have I ever broken that promise?”

“Well, just don’t start now, liar,” Silver muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP Zarina the Crobat, level 5-44. I hate Kanto. At least she didn’t explode, I guess….
> 
> I should also warn that the next chapter contains gore and body horror in humans. Ain’t that ominous as hell?
> 
> Name: Nathan. Species: Noctowl. Nature: Careful. Ability: Insomnia. Location: Viridian Forest. Level: 7
> 
> Name: Quagmire. Species: Quagsire. Nature: Jolly. Ability: Damp. Location: Route 13. Level: 22
> 
> Name: Takiko. Species: Tangela. Nature: Relaxed. Ability: Chlorophyll. Location: Route 28. Level: 39


	67. Chapter 67

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 34 
> 
> Deaths: 11

“The problem with Fuchsia is that we can’t fly into it,” Saylee told Tobias as they approached the grey, sprawling Fuchsia forests from the air. “It’s impossible to find from above…”

“With your eyes, yes,” Tobias said. “I can sense it. Hang on.”

The Fuchsia forests were so dense that no light fell on the ground below the trees, but somehow Tobias managed to weave his way through the thick branches without either of them getting too badly scratched up.

People stared as they reached the ground level of the hidden village. Janine came running up, looking prepared for a fight, but she relaxed when she saw Saylee climb off of Tobias’ back.

“Saylee!” she said in surprise. “Greetings! What are you doing here?”

“Looking for someone,” Saylee said, shaking Janine’s hand. “How are you, Janine? I heard from your dad that you’re head of the village now! Congratulations! He seemed really proud.”

“He was?” Janine said happily. “Oh, I heard from Will that you found your brother! Is it true?”

“Not Red, but _a_ brother,” Saylee said with a little shrug. “The search for Red is ongoing. Right now, though, I’m looking for Blue. Did he pass through here?”

“Blue?” Janine said in surprise. “He was here a _week_ ago… he said he’d deal with it before you got back.”

“Deal with what?” Saylee asked, confused.

“Well, when the Cinnabar volcano erupted, there were some earthquakes and stuff that smashed down a ton of trees at the south part of town,” Janine explained. “While we were clearing out that area, a big flock of Zubat and Golbat from the Seafoam Islands came flying in. They said they’d been driven out of their cave by a mad old human with a Rapidash. A bald old man with a big moustache, they said…”

“Blaine!” Saylee gasped, stiffening.

“You know him, Lee?” Tobias asked curiously.

“Know him?” Saylee said bitterly. “The last time I met him, we got into a fight, the Cinnabar Volcano erupted and Miranda died!”

“I’m guessing that’s why Blue wanted to deal with him before you got back,” Janine said with a frown. “If this guy Blaine got him…”

“He can’t have,” Saylee said shakily. “Miranda wiped the floor with him before, according to Chaz… if the volcano hadn’t gone off… Sam, his Blastoise, she’s much stronger than Miranda was, she…”

“Lee, calm down,” Tobias said gently. “We’ll go find him.”

“Damn straight we will,” Saylee said, climbing onto Tobias’ back. “C’mon. Thanks for the news, Janine! See you!”

“Good luck!” Janine called as they flew off.

{}

“It’s a good thing we’re flying instead of surfing,” Tobias commented, looking down at the murky sea.

“Why’s that?” Saylee asked, looking down. She couldn’t see anything but sea.

“There’s something in the water,” Tobias explained. “Something… odd. We shouldn’t go in it.”

“Fair enough,” Saylee agreed. “Look, there they are—the Seafoam Islands.”

The islands were twin lumps of rock jutting out of the otherwise empty sea. They both had large, dark caves in them that supposedly connected underground in a vast, subterranean labyrinth.

They landed in the cave mouth of the nearer island and almost immediately had to dodge a fire blast that shot for their heads.

“More come for me, eh?! Going to feed me to it, ARE YOU?!”

“Bone Rush, Surf, Water Pulse, QUICKLY!” Saylee yelled, releasing Calvin, Nicki and Valentino. Their attacks were only barely in time to counter the attacks of a Rapidash, Macargo and Magmar.

“Is this a criminal?” Nicki asked, landing on a rocky outcrop and casting a wave of Surf at the Magmar to drive it back.

“He must be, we’re fighting him!” Calvin shouted, landing on her shoulder and flinging his bone at the Rapidash, which dodged it narrowly.

“Less talk, more fight, you two!” Valentino called, vanishing into the waves only to reappear behind the Macargo.

Blaine was exactly as Saylee (very fuzzily, through the haze of a concussion) remembered him: old, skinny, filthy and completely batshit insane, screaming about how “they” were coming for him. “You know, if you’d just calm down and _not_ attack us, we wouldn’t be fighting you!” Saylee yelled, clinging to Tobias’ back.

“Hah! That’s how you fool ‘em, is it?” Blaine roared. “Get ‘em, Pyralis!”

“This is for Paytah, you bitch!” the Rapidash bellowed, blasting out a wave of intense heat. It was powerful enough to knock Nicki, Calvin, Valentino, Tobias and Saylee into the water.

Saylee’s first instinct was to grab desperately for Calvin’s pokéball; the ground-type stood the greatest risk of drowning. She was stopped when something wrapped around her arm and grabbed her, something cold that made her skin buzz as if a thousand tiny Weedle were crawling round under it. It pulled her away from her struggling Pokémon…

…and into chaos.

{}

“What in the name of Lugia was _that_?!” Valentino sputtered, trying to pull Calvin’s head above water. “C’mon, kid, swim, it’s not that hard… kid, c’mon…”

“He’s gone,” Tobias said, struggling to get out of the water so that he could flap the water out of his wings. Calvin and Nicki floated out of the water, wrapped in pink glows, levitated by Tobias’ power. “Dammit… Nicki too… the burns…”

“Toby?!”

Tobias looked around and was surprised to see Blue’s Blastoise, Sam, surface not far away. “Sam! You’re here! Where’s Blue?”

“Hell if I know,” Sam growled. “Something under the water grabbed him… I’ve been trying for _days_ , but I can’t even get near the damn thing. Did you see it?”

“That odd presence? It just got Lee too,” Tobias said, flying a bit further above the water and nearly being knocked down by a fire blast. “Agh! Blaine!”

“I’ve had enough of that old coot,” Valentino snarled, rearing up as a wave and splashing into the cave. There was a blast of steam.

“You know, I’d forgotten about that mad bastard,” Sam said, her cannons clacking out of her shell. “Hydro Cannon incoming!”

“What’s a—” Tobias flew back sharply, psychically dragging Calvin and Nicki’s limp bodies with him, as Sam blasted the cave with a wall of water that actually managed to shatter and crush stone. It was like a tidal wave.

Valentino came floating out with the outflow. “I don’t know what that was, but I want one,” he declared. “Oh, shit!”

The corpses of the Rapidash and the Magmar came floating out of the cave. “Not one damn word, Toby,” Sam said shortly. “They killed most of the Pokémon in those caves. When some researchers came to get Blaine, I’m pretty sure he fed them to whatever’s down there.”

Blaine came floating out of the cave. He was alive, but barely. He grabbed a rock and floated next to it, coughing up blood. “…Escaped the lab…” he coughed. “…won’t get me… no… NO!”

He vanished sharply underwater, as if grabbed and yanked. Same and Valentino dived after him and saw him being dragged towards…

…they had no idea what. Its shape and form seemed to change by the moment, now a sphere, now a cube, now a shape without a name. Skeletal Pokémon seemed to be scuttling around it, but when looked at directly they vanished, like a magic eye puzzle that can only be seen out of the corner of the eye.

Sam and Valentino surfaced and reported what they had seen to Tobias. “I have no idea what that is, but at least it hasn’t killed them,” Tobias said with concern. “I haven’t felt their spirits pass. We should…”

“Wait.”

A Pokémon was flying over the water towards them. It had four legs, a body like blue steel and a shining silver cross over its face.

“You’re Bozider, right?” Tobias said, recognizing the Metagross. “What are you doing here? Are you alone? Where’s your human?”

“He’s busy,” Bozider said placidly. “I’m observing. I was directed to this immense psychic irregularity to observe it… something else is interfering with it, however. It may well vanish soon…”

It did exactly that several minutes later. Sam and Valentino, having dived under the water again in search of their trainers, saw it collapse in on itself and disappear, while Tobias cut off in mid-recital of prayer for Calvin and Nikki’s souls as he felt it vanish. “Where the hell did it go?” Sam demanded, surfacing. “Where the hell are Blue and Saylee?”

“They will have been deposited somewhere, I suppose,” Bozider said. “Perhaps whatever psychic was interfering with it has retrieved them… I will alert my master. We will see to it that you are informed when they are found. Go tend to your dead.” In a flash of pink energy, he vanished.

“What the hell was that?” Valentino asked.

“A foreign Pokémon who seems to know what he’s doing, which is more than I can say for us,” Tobias said quietly. Sam and Valentino yelped as he levitated them out of the water. “Come on… let’s go to Lavender and put poor Calvin and Nikki to rest.”

{}

Saylee staggered down the slope, a difficult task when every step changed the material and gradient under her feet. Ground suddenly vanished entirely under her, and she fell up until she splashed headfirst into the water. She thrashed around for a few seconds before she found the surface. She’d fallen like this four times before, and every time it had been impossible to determine where the surface was by using air bubbles, because they went in every single direction. She lucked out this time; she felt one of her hands break the surface while she flailed. Once she was sure of air, she took a few gulps of water while she could; it tasted foul, but it didn’t seem to be salt or poisonous, and she had no idea when she’d next see water. She was trying to stretch what she had in her bag as long as she could. Her pokégear had shut down entirely, and wherever she was had no sun, moon, stars or any other reliable marker of time. There wasn’t even anything above her half the time, not even sky. Sometimes there were forests, or cities, or sands, and sometimes there was just… _nothing,_ not even darkness _._ There wasn’t even a reliable marker of _space_ , let alone time. She had to guess at the time, and based on her hunger she guessed that she’d been there for three days. She was _good_ at measuring time by stages of hunger, and was somewhat unsettled to find that she retained that weird time sense even though it had been a couple of years since she’d last been hungry enough to employ it.

After a while, she reached up out of the water, and her hand closed around a tree branch. The water vanished, leaving her dangling in space. She hauled herself up, clinging tightly to the branch and staring intently at the tree rather than the visual white noise that surrounded her.

Once she was on the branch, she noticed that all of the leaves had been stripped off of several of the lower branches, and long strips of bark were missing too. _Could somebody else be here_? She wondered, excited beyond words. She hadn’t seen anyone else, living or dead, since being dragged underwater.

Saylee climbed the tree, expecting it to vanish at any second, but it didn’t. She was able to climb high up the tall trunk and into the red-and-orange leaves. She climbed even faster when she spotted a leg dangling from a branch above her. The leg was clad in a familiar pair of scruffy brown cargo pants and a filthy black shoe.

“Blue!” Saylee cried, climbing up onto the branch he was sitting on. He had his eyes closed and was leaning back against the trunk, chewing very slowly on a leaf. “You’re alive?”

“Saylee…?” he said, slowly opening his eyes and staring blearily at her. He swallowed the leaf. “’zat really you…?”

“Is it really _you_?” Saylee asked, inching forwards towards him. He looked worryingly thin and weary. “You look awful.”

“Well, no shit, I ran out of food three weeks ago…” Blue muttered. “Been living in this tree for a week or so… s’food at least…”

“I’ve got food,” Saylee said, digging into her bag. “How long have you been here?”

“Ran out’ve a week’s worth of food three weeks ago, and I stretched it, so…” Blue rubbed his forehead. “Five weeks? Could be guessing wrong, no damn way to tell the time here…”

“Blue, you’d been gone a week when I went looking for you,” Saylee said, handing him a loaf of bread, “and I _think_ that was three days ago, but…”

“Time’s fucked up here,” Blue sighed. “Everything’s fucked up here. Thanks!” He bit off a big chunk of the bread and chewed furiously. “Have you run into any of the corpses?” he asked between bites.

“Chew slowly!” Saylee admonished him. “You’ll make yourself throw up. What corpses? I haven’t seen anyone, living or dead, before you. My pokéballs won’t open…”

“Nfhr wll mnnn,” Blue said, swallowing a huge lump of bread. “I’ve nearly tripped over three or four. I’m pretty sure they’re the researchers who came looking for Blaine and went missing. They were dry skeletons, like they’d been rotting for years…”

“There _has_ to be a way out of here,” Saylee said, glancing out between the branches and quickly looking back at Blue. “It changes with every step we take, but I don’t think I’ve ever ended up in the same place twice, so sooner or later we have to stumble onto the exit…”

“Or we wander until we die,” Blue said darkly. “I never stepped in the same place twice either, for what felt a hell of a lot like over a month. We should stay here, Saylee.” He reached out and grabbed her arm, as if desperately trying to keep her from leaving. “There’s food, and it’s impossible to tell when we’ll find any next, or water…” his grip wasn’t very strong, and he let go of her arm after a moment. “You shouldn’t have come looking for me, moron. When both of us die here, who the hell’s going to look after Pallet?”

“We’re not going to die here, jerk,” Saylee insisted. “And looking for people is what I do. Sometimes, I get lucky and I find them. What we need to find right _now_ is a way out.” She started opening and closing pockets on her bag, looking to see if there was anything of use. The moment she pulled out her dreamcatcher, Alan’s spoon and the coins from Sabrina and Daisy began to rattle violently. They began to pull and struggle in one direction. Saylee pulled them off of the dreamcatcher and wound the string around her wrist. “Looks like they think there’s a way out.”

“Fine, then… let’s go,” Blue said, slowly pulling his leg over the branch so he could jump off. Saylee took his hand. “I don’t think we’ll be separated so long as we don’t let go…”

“I won’t,” Saylee promised, gripping his hand tightly. They pushed off of the branch together, although in Blue’s case it was more of a collapse. The tree vanished the second they were no longer touching it.

They landed in soft grass. Blue had a visibly hard time getting to his feet; he was a good eight inches taller than Saylee, so it wasn’t the easiest thing for her to prop him up, but she did her best with one arm around his waist and his arm slung around her shoulders. After one step, they were on slippery gravel, which nearly sent them both sprawling; another stumbling step, however, put them back on firm concrete. Saylee focused on putting one foot in front of the other, following the spoon and coins that were tugging at her wrist.

After a few minutes of stumbling walking, they nearly trod on someone. Saylee moved her foot quickly, nauseously expecting the filthy lump to be one of the corpses that Blue had mentioned, but it was Blaine.

He was still alive, but barely. His body was contorted by a multitude of broken bones—Saylee could see several places where they poked jaggedly through flesh and clothing, and it made her nearly double up herself in sympathy pain—and he was choking out blood.

“What the hell?” Blue said, staring at Blaine. The old man’s sunglasses were gone, so when he cracked open his eyes to peer at them, Saylee saw for the first time that they were so clouded that she couldn’t see what colour they were. Blaine was practically blind.

“Wanted… strongest… Po… ke…” he coughed. “…succee… ded…” he had another violent coughing fit, accompanied by a surge of blood, and then, as if he had been waiting for them, he died.

His body decomposed almost instantly, shrivelling rapidly down to skin and bone and then the skin cracking off into dust. Saylee had to lean away to heave at the sight.

“Well, that’s okay, I never wanted to sleep again anyway,” Blue croaked, rubbing her back weakly. He grabbed her shoulders tightly as the ground shifted under them. There was a sudden wailing screech, like a million nails on a thousand blackboards crossbred with the shriek of tearing metal, with a little screaming-of-lost-souls thrown in for good measure. It was a sound that rattled along the inside of their bones.

Then it was gone, and they were kneeling in shallow water in what felt like a dark, dripping cave. When Saylee’s eyes adjusted enough to see by the faint light given off by Daisy and Sabrina’s coins, she could see dark shapes in the water around them that looked like the corpses. Blaine’s was still directly in front of them.

“ _It should not have killed him. He could have… explained… YOU!”_

Saylee and Blue were suddenly picked up and flung forcefully against the cold cave wall by an invisible force. “ _Explain_!”

“Explain… _what_?” Blue croaked.

“ _What are you?”_

“We’re humans!” Saylee called. “Are you a psychic Pokémon?”

“ _That is what I must know! What am I?_ ”

“It’s pretty simple, dude,” Blue coughed. “If you’re not a human, you’re a Pokémon. Are you going to put us down already?”

“ _The other Pokémon here… they are not like me. I can find no Pokémon like me anywhere. How can I be a Pokémon_?”

Saylee looked around as much of the cavern as she could see through the gloom and caught sight of Blaine’s corpse. _The strongest Pokémon_ … It triggered a faint memory of hastily scrawled madness, something she’d read before she first met Blaine, and she desperately scrambled through her memories until she found a name. “Are you… Mew… Two?” she asked tentatively.

The force on them lessened slightly. They were still held up, but not borderline crushed. They both gasped for air.

“ _You know my name_? _Is that my name? Mewtwo?_ ”

“Mr Fuji told me about you,” Saylee gasped. “And I read about you on Cinnabar… We won’t hurt you, I promise.”

“ _You? Hurt me?_ ” Mewtwo said scornfully. The force tightened again slightly. “ _Unlikely_.”

“Y’know… if you wanna ask questions…” Blue choked out, “maybe killing… the people you’re asking… is a dumb plan…”

The force lightened again. “You could just say please?” Saylee coughed. “There’s probably been nobody to tell you this, but saying ‘please’ gets you a lot further than threatening people.”

“ _I do not understand. What is ‘please’? Is it a command?_ ”

“Is this guy for real?” Blue muttered.

“Saying please is good manners,” Saylee explained. “It’s a word that means that you respect the person you’re talking to… pretty much. If you ask a question, say ‘please’ and the person you’re asking will like you and answer.”

“ _I_ don’t like him, even if he does say please,” Blue grumbled. “Nothing is gonna make me like you after you’ve dicked somebody around for weeks in some fucked-up other world and then chokeslammed them against a wall.”

“ _That place was not of my doing,_ ” Mewtwo said. They still couldn’t see him, and his voice didn’t seem to be coming from any particular place; it resonated throughout the cavern and inside of their heads. “ _That was… something I recall from the lab. It used to be like me, but then its body died. It did not. It was too powerful..._ ”

“What was it called?” Saylee asked.

“ _I do not know. Its number was missing._ ”

 _A failed attempt_? Saylee wondered. “Mewtwo, could you set us down please?” she asked. “We’re not going to run away or anything. Blue’s in no shape for that, and I’m not tall enough to carry him.”

“That’s what I have Pokémon for,” Blue growled. “Among other things.”

“ _…I will set you down. Do not run away. Please._ ”

Saylee and Blue were dropped somewhat roughly to the cave floor. A purple glow rose in the gloom before them and moved towards them. When Saylee’s eyes adjusted, she saw Mewtwo in the middle of the light.

It stood tall on two legs, like a human, but those legs were very feline, with long feet like a Meowth’s. It had three bulbous fingers on each hand, a skinny torso and a long, skull-like head with odd little protrusions like a Charizard’s horns. Almost its entire body was grey, save for its fat purple tail.

“So this is it?” Blue asked, reaching slowly for his pokéballs. “The Mew clone they made on Cinnabar Island?”

“The one responsible for wiping everyone’s memories, right?” Saylee asked, putting her hand on Blue’s shoulder, willing him to let her ask questions first and attack later. “Why, Mewtwo?”

“ _You do not understand,_ ” Mewtwo said. It spoke entirely telepathically; Saylee couldn’t see if it even had a mouth. “ _I have spent time watching young humans and Pokémon grow, watching how their minds develop, in the hope of understanding my existence. But they are different than me. They are not born with the knowledge that I was… but they are born with_ understanding _. They learn and comprehend. I have so many things that I know and cannot understand… when I reached out to other minds, seeking help, all I found was endless pain and hate and fear._ ”

“A civil war will do that,” Blue sighed. “Especially total war. I saw the war records in the Indigo Plateau. That war was every kind of messed up.”

“Mr Fuji said that you were a powerful telepath,” Saylee said, fighting hard not to break contact with Mewtwo’s intense purple glare. “That you were born with all of that in your head…”

“ _I could not shut it out, and it hurt,_ ” Mewtwo admitted. “ _I only wanted for it to go away. I wanted, very strongly, for it all to go away, and my power… I could not control it. I do not truly understand what it was that I did…_ ”

“Wiped everything,” Blue said. “Hey, it worked. Nobody remembered that they’d been at war, or that they’d hated one another…” he sighed. “I can’t see it as a really bad thing. After all, if everyone had still had their memories…” he glanced at Saylee. “You and Red might have grown up with a real bastard for a father. I only spent a few days with that Silver kid and it was enough to see that he is well and truly messed up. He mentioned one time that his mum regularly dumped him with the sellers that worked Viridian for Team Rocket. I don’t know what’s more messed up, that or the fact that apparently some of the sellers were his age and they were the only kids he ever played with.”

“That is not okay on so many levels,” Saylee said with a frown. “Mewtwo… are you also responsible for humans and Pokémon being able to talk now?”

“ _I could hear the voices of every heart around me, human and Pokémon. I truly wanted someone to hear_ my _voice… the scientists did not…_ ”

“All of those scientists are now insane, dead or both,” Blue pointed out, glancing at Blaine’s corpse.

“ _I did not understand… I failed. I did not end suffering. Before I learned to block out the voices of others, I could hear it, so much of it…_ ”

“You can’t make a perfect world in the blink of an eye like that,” Saylee said, standing up, “but I think you helped, Mewtwo, I really do. I’m really happy that I can talk to my Pokémon. Thank you.”

 _“What does this mean… ‘thank’?_ ”

“It means she’s grateful, alright?” Blue said, trying to pull himself to his feet and ending up having to lean on Saylee’s shoulder to remain upright. “Like, she’s happy that you did what you did. So am I, for what it’s worth. Y’know, it just hit me that you two are about the same age,” he added to Saylee, “but he’s like a little kid… have you been holed up in this cave the whole time?”

“ _For a… long time,_ ” Mewtwo said uneasily. “ _I… really helped_?”

“We can argue about that ‘til the end of the world, but for what it’s worth, I don’t think you made things worse,” Blue offered.

“I think you should go to Lavender Town and see Mr Fuji,” Saylee suggested. “He helped create you, right?”

“ _He did…_ ” Mewtwo nodded. “ _I shall go, then. Thank… you. I had only meant to retrieve Blaine from the missing one, but I am… happy… that you are safe. I will send you somewhere safe now. There is something else here that made it vanish…_ ” Mewtwo raised one thin hand and vanished in a flash of light.

The cave vanished around them; Saylee and Blue immediately grabbed each other tightly, fearing briefly that the other would vanish along with it, but they were deposited onto dry grass along with the corpses. Looking around, they saw that they were between the cave mouth and a river. On the far side of the river, Cerulean was distantly visible.

“What even was that?” Blue asked, staring at the cave.

“Which part of it?” Saylee muttered, reaching for her pokéballs.

“All of it,” Blue sighed. “Hey, something’s coming out of the cave…”

A human came out of the cave a moment later, pulling night-vision goggles off of his face. “Sar Kanto?” the silver-haired man said in confusion.

“Steven Stone!” Saylee gasped. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I’m a keen spelunker, so after concluding my business in Saffron I decided to have some fun!” he said with a grin. “I heard there are some really rare stones you can only get in Kanto. But I’d barely gotten into the cave when there was this flash of light from the cave mouth…” he froze. Saylee looked around and realized that his gaze had fallen on the skeletons. “What are those… what happened?!”

“When we figure it out, we’ll let you know,” Blue muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate Overheat. I hate Explosion. I HATE EVERYTHING.
> 
> Name: Pat. Species: Psyduck. Nature: Brave. Ability: Damp. Level: 28
> 
> RIP Nikki the Nidoqueen, level 23-43
> 
> RIP Calvin the Marowak, level 13-56


	68. Chapter 68

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 32 
> 
> Deaths: 13

“Bozider did say he’d sensed something odd and went to check it out yesterday,” Steven said quietly. The three of them were eating at Misty’s; Steven had helped them get the bodies down to Cerulean, where they were burned on a funeral pyre, and then Misty had invited them to come to her place for food. Misty herself had vanished shortly thereafter—again—with her boyfriend. “He came back a few hours later saying that it had vanished. He didn’t say anything about people vanishing, I’m afraid.”

“I hope Tobes is awright,” Mary said nervously. She and Patrick were the only two Pokémon that Saylee still had with her; Calvin, Nikki, Valentino and Tobias had all been out of their pokéballs when Saylee had been sucked into… wherever. “I hope it didnae get ‘im…”

“I don’t know if it was interested in Pokémon… I didn’t see any in there,” Blue commented. “And I couldn’t open my pokéballs…” Gary, Mario, Edgar and Adam were regularly looking from their food to their trainer, appalled by how atrophied he was and somewhat dazed by how long they’d been in their pokéballs. Pete had gone off flying in search of Sam and the rest of Saylee’s Pokémon after being released.

“It was only really interested in Blaine,” Saylee said. “It kept taking humans until it got him. I wonder if it got stirred up by the volcanic eruption at Cinnabar…”

“My father used to say that there were rumours of some terrible weapons were built for the civil war,” Steven commented. “Even internationally illegal levels of genetic manipulation. Is that what that was? Something that was created in the gene labs of Cinnabar?”

“I think so,” Saylee said. “Its physical body died, but it was too powerful to stop living without a body…” she shivered. “No wonder it was so messed up.”

“I’d be sympathetic if I wasn’t going to have nightmares for the rest of my life about what happened to Blaine when he died,” Blue put in, “and how close I came to ending up like that.”

“Too powerful for a physical body to live and too powerful to die?” Steven said thoughtfully. “Sounds like they were trying to make god.”

“Isn’t the phrase ‘play god’?” Blue asked.

“I guess Hoenn uses different turns of phrase to Kanto,” Steven said, standing up. “I’d better move on. I’d like to go check out that cave again. I’m glad you’re both alright.”

“I don’t think you should go in there,” Saylee said tentatively. “There are some very powerful and dangerous Pokémon down there.”

“There are some right here, too,” Steven said, unzipping one of his pockets and showing the pokéballs inside. “I’ll see you two around, I suppose.” He waved and walked out of the pool hall.

“Weird guy,” Blue said. “You met him before?”

“His father owns a company in Hoenn, but I think he’s a trainer,” Saylee said with a shrug. “He’s kind of weird, but maybe everyone from Hoenn is like that.”

“Mary! Lee!”

“Tobes!” Mary cried, running outside.

Patrick got up and followed her. “Valentino’s wit’ him too!” he yelled happily. “’Tino, mate! Where’s Calvin and Nicki?”

Saylee ran out after them. Tobias had swooped down to hug Mary. Valentino had hopped off of his back and was speaking quietly to Patrick. “Tobias! Valentino! I’m glad you’re okay!” Saylee called. Pete swooped over her head to catch Blue as he stumbled out of the pool house after her. “Where are Calvin and Nicki?”

“Lee…” Tobias said, his face falling. “I’m sorry. Blaine’s attack…”

His expression, the way Valentino was staring fixedly at the ground, and the way Saylee’s life had been going recently told the story for her. “They didn’t make it,” She finished for him, feeling lightheaded. Blue put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into the embrace. Her knees felt weak, and it was suddenly very hard to breathe “Dammit…”

“Shit… well, at least the asshole’s dead now, he won’t be killing any more of your Pokémon,” Blue muttered. He looked around. “Where’s Sam?”

“She returned to Pallet to protect the area in your stead until you returned,” Valentino explained.

“Thanks,” Blue said, sagging a little in relief. He tightened his hug on Saylee. “I’m sorry…

“Calvin was just a kid…” Saylee muttered. “I barely knew Nicki… we’d only been training together for a few days… her sisters…”

“I don’t doubt that your mother will take good care of them, as she promised to do,” Tobias said warmly.

“What happened to you, Lee?” Valentino asked, rubbing up against her leg. “Where did you go when you vanished yesterday?”

“Was it really only yesterday?” Saylee said in surprise. “We got sucked into some… other dimension…”

“We found Blue there, anyways,” Mary said. “It sounds like it was kindae messed up though.”

“It really was,” Blue sighed. Adam floated out of the pool hall.

“An odd presence is approaching,” the Alakazam reported. “From the north.”

“Yeah… what’s that smell?” Valentino said, looking up the river. Saylee followed his gaze and saw a wave of shimmering water flowing down it, preceding the creature that was running towards them on top of the water.

“Suicune!” she gasped.

The elegant blue-and-white Pokémon made a flowing leap and landed delicately in front of her, purple mane trailing fluidly. “ _Guardian_ , _you are needed in Ecruteak_ ,” Suicune said. She seemed to elect to speak telepathically, in a smooth voice that rolled into Saylee’s brain like an ocean wave.

“What are you doing here?” Saylee demanded, surprised to hear Suicune speak to her. None of the Beasts had ever spoken to her before, only Silver. “Where’s Silver? Why am I needed in Ecruteak? I _can_ put these pieces together, I’m just hoping you’re going to say something I’m not expecting.”

“ _I do not know what you expect. I only know that my master-to-be is in Ecruteak_.”

“What?!” Saylee yelled, pure rage burning through her grief and giving her strength again. “I _told_ Entei—”

“ _We have no obligation to obey you,_ ” Suicune said smoothly. “ _You have chosen to be a guardian. That does not give you any power over us. We obey only our master Ho-oh. Our master called the avatar to him. The avatar agreed to go, but he requested your presence._ ”

“We’ve got tae go efter ‘im!” Mary yelped. “That wean cannae go tae Ho-oh, not efter whit happened tae Ethan!”

“Damn straight,” Saylee said, pulling out her pokéballs and returning her Pokémon.

“Oi! Mario, Edgar, you two go with her, okay?” Blue said, returning his Machamp and Exeggutor. “You lost two Pokémon. You need to cover all your bases,” he continued, tossing their pokéballs to Saylee. “Unlike _some_ people, I’m not too dumb to know when I’m in no shape to fight. Go get your brother, moron.”

“Thanks, jerk,” Saylee said, pocketing the pokéballs. She gave Blue a hug and a kiss, clinging to him for a moment to clear her head before letting go and walking towards Suicune. “Suicune, take me to Silver _right now_.”

“ _Of course_ ,” Suicune said, stooping to allow Saylee to climb onto her back. “ _Let’s go_.”

{}

Suicune ran _fast_ , rounding Mt Moon in seconds and reaching the Fast Train line through the mountains within minutes. She ran along the line, at one point having to leap to avoid being hit by the train going past in the opposite direction. _The line’s finished and the power’s back,_ Saylee thought, watching it pass. _Look out, Kanto, here comes the world… I hope it’s here to help._

Suicune’s flowing purple mane wrapped around Saylee, protecting her from the immense force of the cold and wind created by the speed at which Suicune ran. The Water Beast was so fast that they reached Ecruteak in an hour.

They landed on the leaf-strewn path outside of the Bell Tower. The leaves were not so thick on the ground as they had been in the fall. Instead, the few fallen leaves were among the soft pink petals of blooming flowers. Silver was standing in front of the Bell Tower, flanked by Entei and Raikou, who were glaring at a slightly singed-looking Morty and Eusine. Mag was floating over Silver’s shoulder, apparently unsure if he should protect Silver from the Legendary Beasts or not.

“I said stop it, they’re not trying to hurt me!” Silver was yelling, glaring at the Beasts. “I know they’re a pair of freaks, but— _finally_ ,” he added, spotting Saylee and Suicune. “They told me that Ho-oh was gonna go on a burning rampage if I didn’t come here, because its power’s going all freaky without Lugia balancing it normally. I figured burning rampages suck and having power is awesome, so I came. What the hell’s actually going on? Is this because of that dumb feather I found?” He held up the rainbow feather for Saylee to see.

“That feather appearing was Ho-oh’s symbol that he was ready to avatarize,” Saylee sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t bring you sooner, but—”

“Suicune!” Eusine cried, overjoyed. He practically bounced towards Suicune. “My beautiful Suicune!”

“ _These humans have been following us,_ ” Entei snarled as Suicune gave Eusine a nonplussed look. “ _They have no right to be here…_ ”

“Don’t you _dare_ ,” Saylee snapped, leaping off of Suicune’s back and striding over to stand in front of Entei. “What the hell is _wrong_ with you? I told you not to run off with him!”

“ _We do not need to obey you,_ ” Raikou said. “ _We_ —”

“Only obey Ho-oh, yadda yadda,” Saylee snapped, rounding on her. “You’re an electric-type, right? You might be overpowered, but you’re still an electric-type. I wonder how you hold up against a Bonemerang from the head of the Lavender Marowak, hmm? Don’t think I’m not willing to test Valentino’s Waterfall against you, Entei!”

“Do you seriously expect to defeat them?” Eusine choked. Morty slammed a hand over his mouth; it looked like he was trying not to laugh.

“Won’t know until I try, and I’m willing to try,” Saylee snarled. “I am _not_ in the best of moods right now, and if you make it worse it will go very hard on you. Silver, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, idiot,” Silver grumbled. “I already said I’d do this. Once I do, I’ll be strong enough to wipe out weak assholes like Team Rocket easily!”

“Silver, this is _dangerous_ ,” Saylee said, putting her hands on his shoulders. “You’re just a kid like Ethan. He’s suffered, trying to adjust to these powers. They’re a hell of a lot for a human body to handle, and before the power leans how to handle a human body, it’ll hurt you. Ethan’s had horrible nightmares about some of the things that Lugia’s seen over the years. It’s too much to expect a kid like you—”

“I’m not just a kid!” Silver said angrily. “I can handle it! I’m not _weak_!”

“Silver, it’s not that I think you’re weak,” Saylee said. “It’s just that—”

“Then what’s your _problem_?” Silver demanded. “I wish I hadn’t told Suicune to bring you now! You better not think I’m going to be evil with my power! I’m _not_ going to be like Mum and Dad!”

“I don’t think your sister believes that for a second,” Morty said calmly. “She’s simply concerned about you, no matter what. Love is not a rational creature.”

“He’s right,” Saylee said, pulling Silver into a hug. “I know you can do it. I don’t think you’re the wrong person. I’m just scared for you, Silver. I’m scared that there’s nothing I can do for you…”

“ _You can see him safely to the top,_ ” Suicune suggested. “ _We cannot set foot in the tower. It is our Master’s private place. Yet wild Pokémon have gathered there, as desperate for our Master’s favour as these humans._ ” She inclined her head to Morty and Eusine. “ _They will not recognize the avatar for what he is. They will prove themselves strong by fighting any that cross them. You must guard him. You must hurry, before our Master’s anger is aroused.”_

“ _Lugia’s rage at being denied his avatar was fierce,”_ Raikou added. “ _Our Master’s anger will be fiercer. He will burn Ecruteak again, and this time there will be no survivors. And our Master can restore them to life so he can kill them again._ ”

“Y’know, for all that the geisha go on about there being an element of choice here, I’m not seeing much of a choice,” Saylee growled.

“There’s always a choice, even if it’s between doing the right thing and the wrong one,” Eusine commented. “I, for one, feel confident that the choice is being given to someone who automatically chooses the right one.”

“So are we going or what?” Silver said, straightening his glasses. Saylee released Patrick and set Silver on his back.

“If you are going, then here,” Morty said as Saylee climbed up behind Silver. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small crystal bell. “This summons Ho-oh, it’s said. I may or may not have stolen this from a temple lockbox when I was eleven. It’s so sacred that they never dare open it to check on it. I used to be convinced that it was mine by right, anyway… but if it’s yours, then I wish you well,” he said sincerely, pressing the bell into Silver’s hands.

“Thank you, Morty,” Saylee said, squeezing one of Morty’s hands for a moment. “I’m sorry it wasn’t you this time.”

“Nothing to be done about it,” Morty said. Eusine took his hand. “Even if there was, I can make my choices just as you can, and when you make your own choices, you do it without regrets.” He smiled. “Go on, and good luck.”

Silver rang the bell experimentally. The temple doors swung open. “Let’s go, Patrick,” Saylee said.

The doors swung closed behind them, leaving them in near pitch-blackness for a moment save for the light of Patrick’s fires. Then Silver rang the bell again, and purple fire erupted in sconces along the walls, lighting the way to the stairwell. As they approached the broad stairway, Saylee could hear the sounds of Pokémon fighting above.

“They weren’t kidding about there being a lot of dangerous wild Pokémon, huh?” Mag said, floating up the stairs ahead of them. The stairwell was so tall that the ceiling wasn’t visible in the torchlight. “Uh, guys, I think part of the floor is missing…”

When they reached the top of the stairs, the torches flickered to life at the sound of the crystal bell. They only served as random reference points in a haze of mist; what little floor they could see did have distinct gaps in it.

“Think you can jump those?” Saylee asked.

“Do I look like a Slugma?” Patrick snorted. “T’is place is freakin’ me out, t’ough, so it is. T’ain’t normal fire.”

“At least it’s showing us the way,” Saylee said. Patrick leapt over the first gap in the floor easily and then stumbled as something lashed at his legs.

“What the hell was that!?” Silver yelled.

“There’s something here…” Mag said nervously, carefully avoiding a floating ball of purple fire.

“Hold on,” Saylee said, digging into her bag and pulling out a pair of clunky white binoculars.

“What the hell is that ugly thing?” Silver demanded.

“It’s called a Silph Scope,” Saylee said, pressing them to her eyes and shivering. “This isn’t mist. It’s a _ton_ of Gastly all fighting with each other and…” she looked down at the floor. “Tons and tons of Rattata. You can’t see them well because of the mist, but, well, that’s what we have these guys for…” she released Tobias, Edgar, Mary and Mario. “Watch your footing, everybody. We have Gastly and Rattata all over the place. Can you deal?”

“’Course!” Mary said, hopping onto Tobias’ back. Tobias and Edgar immediately began to produce pink glows that caused the mist to disperse. Mario cracked his knuckles and grinned.

“No Valentino?” Patrick asked.

“He’s not got much to offer against ghosts and rats,” Saylee said, watching Mario pick up a Rattata in each of his four hands and throw them out of Patrick’s way. “Ho-oh’s half fire, on the other hand…”

“We didnae get a chance t’dae much tae Lugia, though, did we?” Mary asked, zapping a couple of Zubat.

“That was because we waited for it to be an active threat,” Saylee said, hanging onto Silver and Patrick as they leapt a particularly large gap and started up the next flight of stairs. “We don’t need to take it out. This isn’t about self-defence. Ethan said that he was having trouble riding the power, that it felt like he was going to rip his own arm off just trying to move it. I want to see what happens if we weaken Ho-oh first.”

“You’re actually going to try to kick the shit out of _Ho-oh_?” Silver said incredulously. “What the—”

“According to records of Lugia’s rampage, the reason the scientists had resorted to electrified nets was because it wouldn’t stay in even the strongest pokéballs,” Saylee explained. “It didn’t _stay_ in, but it did _go_ in. It’s a powerful Pokémon, but it’s still a Pokémon. We can still weaken it. If it’s weakened, it might not do so much damage when it possesses you, Silver.”

“Yeah, but… won’t it get pissed off at you?” Silver said uneasily. “I mean, it’s super-powerful. What if it tries to kill you?”

“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt _you_ ,” Tobias promised him. Somehow, Silver didn’t seem reassured. “Also, from what I saw of Lugia possessing Ethan, it’ll happen the second you two touch. We’ll try to do as much damage as we can, but I would appreciate it if you could try to get close to Ho-oh and be ready to grab it immediately before we’re about to get crisped.”

“It’s bloody dark up here,” Mary commented as they ascended to another floor.

“Silver, you need to ring the bell,” Mag reminded his trainer. Silver started ringing the crystal bell again, and the purple balls of fire flamed into life.

“Hey, are _we_ gettin’ in on this god-fighting action?” Mario asked. “Sounds hardcore. I _knew_ there was a reason Blue liked you so much.”

“I’d rather be excused from fighting a fire bird, if it’s all the same to you,” Edgar said, rustling his leaves nervously. The Exeggutor’s three heads all glanced at the ceiling.

“Pffft… grass-types,” Mario said, rolling his eyes. “C’mon, fightin’ a god, you can’t tell me that’s not _awesome_!”

“Actually, it’s dumb as hell, but hopefully it’ll work anyway,” Saylee sighed, clutching the six pokéballs. “I really just don’t want you to get hurt, Silver, believe me.”

“I know,” Silver muttered. “Just… you make sure you don’t get hurt either, okay?”

“I’ll do my best.”


	69. Chapter 69

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 32 
> 
> Deaths: 13

“The wean’s been quiet fae ages an’ it’s worryin’ me,” Mary said as they ascended to the ninth floor.

“I’m fine,” Silver said, not looking up from intently staring at the rainbow feather, tightly clutched in his left hand while he rang the crystal bell in his right. “…d’you think your mum’s worried about where we are?”

“If you didn’t tell her that you were leaving, then yes, she’ll be worried,” Saylee chastised him. “As soon as this is done, I’ll need to try and give her a call.”

“Oh…” Silver fidgeted with the feather. “Your mum’s… really nice. Loads of people’ve been really weird around me… like all the people in Viridian. They remember me. They told their kids not to play with me and they always watch me like I’m gonna steal their stuff… but your mum’s just nice. She asked me to _watch her stand_ once when you were away and she had to go to the bathroom or something. Like, she _trusted_ me to look after it and not steal stuff. It was really, really dumb…”

“Did you steal stuff?” Saylee asked.

“Well, yeah,” Silver admitted. “I mean, just some food. I ate some food. And when she noticed, I thought she was gonna be really mad, but she _wasn’t_. She just told me that if I was hungry I should ask for food. She _smiled_ at me! What’s wrong with her? Being nice to _me_? It’s like she doesn’t even care that I’m…”

“She doesn’t,” Saylee said with a shrug. “She likes kids. She’s always liked kids. She finally has the time, energy and money to love kids. She doesn’t hold much against kids… she says it’s because they’re still learning, and teaching is more effective than getting mad. It’s their parents she doesn’t always get along with.”

“She feeds all of those orphan kids at Brock’s for like nothing,” Silver added. “Brock pays her an’ all, but she doesn’t charge extra even if they have seconds or thirds…” he glanced up at Saylee. “She said she wishes she could’ve fed you and Red that well.”

“Well, things are different now,” Saylee told him. “I know she did everything she could for us, and hey, we haven’t starved to death, so it looks like it was enough. And even when she couldn’t get us food, she loved us. She hugged us and sang us songs to distract us from how hungry we were and told us she loved us.”

“D’you think Red will like me?” Silver asked quietly.

“I’m sure he will,” Saylee promised softly.

{}

Saylee was not entirely surprised to see the five head geisha waiting for them at the top of the tower, clad in gold with rainbow sashes and hair ornaments.

“Who’re these ladies?” Mario asked.

“The geisha,” Tobias said, looking around. The Bell Tower was extremely tall and offered an unparalleled view of all of Ecruteak sprawling out below them to the south and the blooming spring forests to the north. The only thing that seemed to be on their level was the bulk of Mt Mortar to the east. Unlike Lugia’s dark, damp cave, Ho-oh’s summoning plaza enjoyed a gorgeous vista.

The actual setup, though, was very reminiscent of Lugia’s cave. The geisha were surrounding a raised platform of polished wood in the middle of the flat roof. Huge brass bells were tied to thick posts on either side of the platform.

“To take on a god of this might is no light undertaking, nor is it a game,” Zuki intoned solemnly. “Roark Pryce, you have been chosen. You have been chosen to wield powers of rebirth, of fire, of the endless sky. You have been chosen to be a leader, one day, of humans and Pokémon both, and to be a shining example to all. Will you do this with a good heart and an open mind?”

“Sounds awesome,” Silver said. “And I already decided that I’m going to grow up to be the _opposite_ of my stupid, weak dad, so don’t think I’m going to go evil with these powers or anything.” He hopped down from Patrick’s back. “I don’t wanna be _anything_ that him or my mum wanted me to be. And my name’s _Silver,_ stupid.”

“Then ascend,” Naoko said, gesturing to the podium.

Saylee dismounted and gave Silver a squeeze on the shoulder. “Last chance to change your mind,” she said quietly.

“Hmph. _I’m_ not gonna wuss out,” Silver said, stepping up onto the podium with the rainbow feather and crystal bell. “So what happens now?”

“Hold the feather aloft and ring the bell,” Kuni said. As soon as Silver did so, the geisha began to sing and dance around him. The dance was similar to their dance at Lugia’s summoning, but faster, the song higher and quicker. Silver threw incredulous looks at them, but continued to ring the bell.

Something _shrieked_ high above them. The clouds began to swirl. Saylee released Valentino from his pokéball, watching the clouds carefully. “Surf, Ancientpower and Power Gem, on my mark,” she said, looking from Valentino to Tobias and Mary. The three of them nodded, focusing on the clouds. Edgar started backing away nervously; for all his teasing, Mario immediately assumed a defensive stance in front of his friend and teammate. Saylee struggled between wanting to return them both and wanting as much backup as possible before finally returning them on the basis that neither would be much good against a fire bird.

“It’s coming,” Tobias said after a moment. Golden light was beginning to shine down through the clouds. The geisha’s singing and dancing grew more frantic.

“Can I help?” Mag whispered to Saylee. “I want Silver to be okay.”

“When I say, throw all the electricity you can at Ho-oh,” Saylee said quietly. “I can’t return you, so hide behind me if fire starts happening, got it?”

“What about you?” Mag asked nervously.

“They say that Ho-oh’s fire only burns those with evil in their hearts, so  I’m just going to bank on ‘terminally stupid’ not coming under the heading of ‘evil’,” Saylee muttered. “Get ready.”

The clouds parted, and Ho-oh descended. The geisha dropped to their knees as Ho-oh approached Silver. Like Lugia, Ho-oh was tremendous; its beak was as long as Silver was tall, and its rainbow-coloured wings were so vast that, at full extension, both hung out over the edges of the tower roof.

 _Finally_ , it thought at Silver, its thoughts loud and powerful enough to be heard by all of them. _I’ve been waiting, you know_. It spread its wings, glowing brightly as it showed off its power—

“Attack!” Saylee shouted.

Silver ducked to the ground, the geisha screamed in shock, and Ho-oh screeched furiously as all hell broke loose.

The vast bird was pushed back by a wall of electrified water and psychically-controlled rocks that battered it relentlessly. “Don’t even give it a moment!” Saylee shouted. “If it gets a chance to breathe, it’ll counterattack—”

_MORTALS! YOU DARE?!_

There was a tremendous blast of power from Ho-oh. Saylee tried to grab Patrick, to cling onto him, but she was knocked away as the Rapidash was sent staggering backwards. She grasped wildly as she hit the sloping, tiled edge of the roof, trying to find something to grab onto.

“I got you!” Mag shouted, clamping one of its magnets around Saylee’s wrist. Her slide slowed, but she kept sliding. “A-ah… you’re kind of… heavy…”

“I gotcha,” Mary grunted, grabbing Mag. Behind her, Tobias was gripping her tail, forming a chain of Pokémon to drag her back.

“Watch out for Ho-oh!” Saylee shouted frantically.

“We dinnae need tae,” Mary said as a bright flash of golden light nearly blinded all of them. “Ow… Ho-oh slumped fae a second an’ the wean grabbed it.”

“Silver?” Saylee gasped as she was dragged back onto the flat wooden platform. The geisha were all on the ground, unconscious or stirring feebly. The Pokémon all looked winded, but none were injured. A ball of golden light in the centre of the platform was steadily shrinking to the size of a boy. “SILVER!”

{}

“They must have reached the top,” Morty said as the sounds of bells ringing drifted down the tower.

“Suicune?” Eusine said in surprise as the beast bent her forelegs and bowed her head to the ground. Entei and Raikou followed suit. Golden light began to split through the clouds, giving everything that the light touched an ethereal glow. “Oh! That’s…”

“Ho-oh,” Morty said, eyes gleaming as he stared at the clouds. He gripped Eusine’s hand excitedly. “Eusine, it’s Ho-oh!”

The clouds dispersed entirely as the majestic bird descended. Its vast wings were predominantly a fiery red, but the underfeathers were every colour of the rainbow, trailing down to gentle white feathers at the very tips. Its large, bushy tail and the elaborate, curled crest on its head were both deep gold. That crest rolled as it threw back its head and gave the most melodious screech that they had ever heard.

“It’s magnificent,” Morty whispered, watching Ho-oh flick its wings and begin to roil and dance in the air, shrieking repeatedly. It seemed to be backing away from the tower a little, oddly. “Even more magnificent than I imagined.”

“Well, I’m sure you imagined yourself being somewhat closer to it,” Eusine laughed.

“This is close enough,” Morty said, squeezing Eusine’s hand as Ho-oh swooped at the tower, screeching loudly. “I’d rather be viewing it from down here with you than be up there on my own.”

They watched as Ho-oh began to produce purple fire. In a flash of gold, it disappeared. The golden light began to fade. “That was amazing,” Eusine said. “I’m glad we got to see it together.”

“So am I,” Morty said, smiling at Eusine and pulling him closer. “So am I.”

{}

While the bright golden flash was fading, Saylee took a moment to start breathing again before taking off running towards Silver.

“Did it work?” Mag asked nervously.

“What were you doing?!” Zuki demanded, coughing. “Attacking holy Ho-oh—!”

“Ask Silver if he has a problem with it,” Saylee said, climbing up onto the podium. Silver had slumped to one knee but seemed to still be conscious and capable of remaining at least a little upright.

“Silver! How do you feel?” Saylee asked, kneeling in front of him.

“Fine,” Silver mumbled, clutching his chest. “I’m fine… I’m… fuck, it’s _baking_ up here…” he pulled off his jumper and began tugging at the neck of his t-shirt, sticking out his lower lip as he blew up at his fringe frantically. His hair and shirt were visibly sticking to him with sweat, and his glasses had fogged up. Saylee tried to take his shoulders to steady him and immediately had to jerk them back, unable to help a yelp of pain.

Searing hot steam was rising off of Silver. He was sweating heavily, and the sweat was boiling on his skin, leaving a crusty white layer of salt on his red, feverish skin. Saylee’s fingers and palms began to blister where she’d touched him.

“Oh, _that_ can’t be good,” Saylee gasped, flapping her stinging hands and then trying to wipe the fog off of her glasses. “Valentino, try spraying some water over Silver to cool him down. _Gently_. Silver, how do you feel?”

“Really… damn… thirsty…” Silver panted, kicking off his shoes and already-sodden socks while pulling off his t-shirt and clumsily fanning himself with it. Valentino tried spraying a fine mist over him, but the mist turned to boiling steam before it even touched him. He changed to a stronger stream of water, but even that boiled and steamed without cooling him down at all.

“Patrick, come pick him up so we can get him to a hospital _now_ ,” Saylee ordered. Patrick trotted over and bowed his head. Silver was too weak to pull himself up on his own, so Mario lifted him up, insisting that he’d had worse than the resulting burns on his hands. Saylee turned to the geisha, who were glaring at her, and glared right back. “If this is how bad he is when Ho-oh was _weakened_ , what state do you think he’d be in if we _hadn’t_ attacked?” she demanded. “Oh, and Ethan’s parents saw you lingering around his hospital…. If I catch you sneaking into the Ecruteak hospital to stalk Silver, I will _end_ you.” She returned her Pokemon and waited for Mag to cling to her shoulder before she climbed onto Tobias’ back. “Let’s go.”

{}

“We’ve got an ice pipe set up to pour ice on him as fast as it boils off of him,” the doctor said, looking bewildered. “I’ve never seen a fever like it. It burst the top of the thermometer. I’m astonished that the boy hasn’t boiled his own skin off, and that he’s still _conscious_ … I’ve seen cooler fevers than this do serious brain damage. But he’s conscious, he’s _lucid_ , he only complains of having ‘aches’ that seem akin to growing pains and being _thirsty_ ….”

“The dehydration seems to be causing him much more discomfort than the actual fever, now that we have the ice pipe set up,” a Chansey with a nametag saying “Heli” reported. “Given his mysterious resistance to the fever, I would say that the dehydration is our biggest concern. He’s tried sucking on ice chips, but everything boils before it gets into his mouth… his breath’s even hotter than his body temperature. It even boils our normal high-fever rehydration fluid.”

“Have you set up the IV I ordered?” the doctor asked.

“Doctor, the needle _melted_ when we tried to inject it into him,” Heli said patiently. “The only needle that didn’t was the one we got in from the clinic, the one designed for fire-type Pokémon, and for some reason it couldn’t penetrate his skin. We can’t give him fluids intravenously.”

“Fire-type Pokémon do have bodily fluids, don’t they?” Saylee asked. “Not water, because their internal temperatures are too hot, but I _have_ seen nurses giving liquid to my Typhlosion and Rapidash whenever they were badly hurt….”

“There is a medicinal drink for fire-type Pokémon with an extremely high boiling point,” Heli said. “My sister works at the clinic, she could get us some…”

“That fluid is not designed for humans, though,” the doctor said with a frown. “I don’t recommend it.”

“Is there _anything_ else you can give him?” Saylee demanded. “At _all_?

The doctor’s awkward lack of an answer was interrupted by a _crash_ from down the hall and the sounds of people screaming.

“What is _that_?”

“It’s huge!”

“It’s _beautiful_!”

Saylee ran down the hall and towards the source of the noise. There was another _crash_ as she rounded the corner into the corridor where Silver’s room was. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Silver’s door was smashed open.

“Silver?” she yelled, running into his room. “Are you—oh.”

Silver’s room was like a sauna, filled with steam despite the buzzing of an extractor fan somewhere near the ceiling. Saylee had to wipe her glasses every few seconds to dispel the fog. A pipe was coming through the wall and pouring a constant stream of ice into a large ceramic tub, where Silver’s bright red hair made him visible through the steam. He was leaning out of the tub towards Suicune, who was kneeling next to him. One of her white ribbons had turned silver-blue, and Silver was clutching it, gulping from one end like it was a can of juice.

“Suicune… are you making water for him?” Saylee asked in surprise. “How is it not boiling?”

“ _I provide my master with what he needs,_ ” Suicune said placidly. “ _My master has never needed water before. She must learn that humans do if she wishes to remain in this body. Until such time, I will care for him._ ”

“Thank you,” Saylee sighed, kneeling next to Suicune and scratching her under the chin, which she seemed to enjoy.

“Oh my god, what is _that_?” the doctor gasped, peering through the door.

“It’s Suicune!” Heli said happily. “Everyone, look, it’s Suicune!”

“How about everybody fuck off instead?” Silver yelled. “I’m sitting in a bathtub naked! I swear I’ll smite the first fucker through the door! I can do that now!” The doctor and Heli backed away nervously. “And _you_ ,” he added, pointing at Saylee. “You’re a _girl_! Get _out_ , or I’ll let Ho-oh smite you like she really really wants to!”

“Okay,” Saylee said, holding up her hands and backing towards the door quickly. She released Mario once she was outside. “Suicune kinda broke down the door, so do you think you can act as a door and guard for now?” she asked the Machamp. “Please don’t let anybody in without my permission or Silver’s.”

“Sure thing,” Mario said, cracking his knuckles and standing in the doorway. “He gonna be okay?”

“Suicune’s looking after him,” Saylee said.

“What the hell is going on?!” the doctor asked, sounding halfway between confused and pissed off.

“I don’t know, I’m making this up as I go along,” Saylee sighed, pulling out her pokégear. “Can I make phone calls in here, or do I have to go outside?”

{}

“So what the hell is actually going on?” Siren demanded.

“Saylee let you all out to get some air while Silver’s in hospital,” Mag replied, waving his magnets around to take in the trees and flowers in the Ecruteak Hospital’s gardens. There was a small pond nearby, surrounded by a border of smooth stones. Occasionally, a Goldeen leapt out of it.

“Yeah, okay, but _why_ is he in hospital?” the Sneasel said irritably.

“Because Ho-oh doesn’t get that living in a human body involves having a much lower core body temperature than a fire-type,” Tyra growled.

“Okay, doesn’t really explain that much… who the hell is he?” Siren asked, pointing at the Exeggutor who was talking quietly to Tobias and Mary.

“I’m Edgar, my buddy’s Mario is up there guarding your trainer,” the Exeggutor said. “Our trainer’s name is Blue. He’s the leader of Viridian and Pallet. Saylee’s his girlfriend… and about damn time, too. Since she was down two Pokémon when she left for Johto, Blue sent us to help. That crazy asshole Blaine killed her Marowak and her Nidoqueen…”

“Calvin and Nicki are _dead_?” Zeb gasped, looking crestfallen. “Calvin was cool, though…”

“He was an annoying brat, but still… ceez,” Tyra muttered. “Guess we should be grateful she didn’t get anyone killed fighting Silver.”

“Just so’s ye ken, Saylee blames hersel’ plenty fae the deaths ae the ‘mons she trains, and if I ever catch yous tellin’ her tae her face that it’s aw her fault, I’m gaunnae zap yez,” Mary said conversationally.

“She wasn’t to blame for Calvin and Nicki’s deaths,” Tobias agreed. “That murderer Blaine was… I have choicer words than ‘murderer’ for him, but I can’t use them now that he’s dead.”

“We’ll call him a crazy fucker on your behalf,” Valentino offered.

“Poor Nicki… I hope her sisters’ll be alright,” Patrick said sadly. “I hope Lee’s brot’er’s goin’ t’be alright, too. T’at boy was runnin’ a crazy fever. _I_ t’ought he was overheatin’. I’m a bleedin’ _fire_ type an’ I t’ought he was too hot.”

“Well, I’ll be able to tell you how he’s doing in a minute,” Edgar said, his heads looking towards the hospital.

Siren yelped as something yellow nearly bowled her over. “What the hell?!” she demanded, watching it roll over to Edgar and hop up next to his left head.

“My third head,” Edgar said calmly. “It went on some recon. Silver and Suicune are drawing far too much attention… she needs a distraction for the media circus outside of the hospital.”

“You do know that’s really, really freaky,” Tyra pointed out. Edgar just grinned at her.

“How ‘boot we ask Morty an’ Eusine fae help?” Mary said. “They might ken how tae distract they rubberneckers wi’oot gettin’ done fae assault.”

“I’m sure there’s a way to create a distraction without resorting to violence,” Tobias agreed, spreading his wings.

“Yeah, but I bet it’s not as fun,” Siren grumbled, following as he flew off towards Morty’s temple.


	70. Chapter 70

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 32 
> 
> Deaths: 13

“I did hear stories like that from my grandfather when I was a boy,” Arthur mused, drumming his fingers on the dining-room table of the Pryce mansion. “I didn’t realize that it would happen within my lifetime… hmm.” He glanced out of the open door to the garden, where Raikou was sitting protectively near the door to Silver’s room. Mag was hovering by Raikou, talking to her quietly. Silver himself was asleep in his room, wrapped up in Suicune’s mane to keep himself cool. Entei was nowhere to be seen, but presumably nearby.

“Grandad, how is this not freaking you out?!” Lucy demanded, hugging Emilie tightly as she paced back and forth around the dining room. “It’s freaking me out!”

“I can tell, darlin’,” Emilie said with a wince. “Maybe you shouldn’t freak out quite so tightly, hmm?”

“We’ve lived long lives full of strange things, dear,” Helen assured her granddaughter. “We’ve lost the habit of being freaked out a long time ago. Arthur, dear, remember on our honeymoon in Unova, when we heard that music and…”

“Yes, and when we found her, the others on the boat with us had roughly Lucy’s reaction,” Arthur said. “They ended up chasing her away… trying to catch her instead of enjoying the music. There are always those who wish to possess and control the powers of mighty Pokémon, such as Ho-oh…”

“Who got the news involved?” Lucy wanted to know. “We saw it on the news, something about Suicune being seen in the hospital and an isolated boy with a mysterious fever… talk shows were going on about a new disease for a while that was trying to be hushed up…”

“Trainers started turning up, demanding to be let in to fight Suicune,” Saylee sighed. “And the more the doctors refused to talk about Silver, the bigger the media circus got… thank heavens for Morty and Eusine. If they hadn’t distracted the reporters by loudly and enthusiastically talking about their wedding plans as they walked past the hospital, Suicune wouldn’t have had the few minutes’ window she needed to make a run for it with Silver and I. I mean, some trainers tracked us, but Patrick, Valentino, Mary and Mario took care of them.” She tapped the pokéballs on her belt, which Tobias had gone back with later to retrieve the Pokémon left as the rearguard.

“At least nobody much knows that Silver is Ho-oh yet,” Helen mused. “What was the other boy’s name?”

“Ethan,” Saylee said. “He didn’t draw quite as much attention because his symptoms were mainly being extremely weak, having terrible nightmares and a worrying tendency towards water in his lungs… once that cleared up, his parents took him home. His blood work was starting to show abnormalities, anyway…” she sighed. “All of this will be public knowledge someday. It’s _intended_ to be public knowledge someday. But I’d rather it wasn’t when Ethan and Silver are still so young and vulnerable. Like you said… people will always seek to control that kind of power. I should probably go check on how Ethan’s doing…”

“Why’d you let Silver go through with it, seein’ what happened to Ethan?” Emilie asked.

“Well… I’d told him about what happened to Ethan,” Saylee said, twisting her fingers. “He knew full well that this was a possibility and decided that it was worth it. And I really don’t think he’s going to misuse it… he’s still getting a handle on the difference between right and wrong, but he’s taken to hating everything our father ever did or stood for on principle, and there are worse ways to live your life than trying to be the polar opposite of Giovanni.”

“He has a very caring older sister looking out for him, too,” Helen said warmly. “And a family that _will_ give him a whupping if he turns into his father. Speaking of family… now that the Magnet Train’s running, you really should invite your mother to stay with us.”

“The government’s being very strict about immigration,” Arthur said warningly. “Still, as long as you sign her through, there should be no problems.” he tapped his own dragon pin. “Everyone’s very worried about mass immigration, of course…”

“…Which would probably happen, and no surprise,” Saylee agreed. “I know you can’t just allow thousands of people to move into the country at once, so maybe focus on sending more aid out to Kanto? The kind of medical care you have here would work wonders.”

“Of course,” Arthur said with a nod. “For now, you contact your mother and I’ll see about entry visas. I look forward to meeting her. For her poor taste in husbands, she’s raised a fine daughter.”

“Thanks,” Saylee said, always a little abashed whenever her grandparents praised her. “She’s with a much nicer guy these days now. He’s a miner from Sinnoh called Byron…”

“Byron Tougan?” Arthur interjected. “Jules Tougan’s son?”

“You know him?” Saylee asked in surprise.

“Jules is the Canalave leader, and the controlling manager of the Sinnoh Underground,” Arthur explained. “Although I heard that he’s planning to step down from his leadership soon. Byron will take over. I met him before on a trip to Sinnoh a few decades ago. He is a good man, a hard worker and very dedicated to the needs of the people in the Canalave jurisdiction.”

“Yeah… I like him,” Saylee agreed. “He’s nothing like Giovanni. I guess Mum was a different person back then… or maybe _he_ was.”

“Without our memories, I suppose we shall never know,” Helen sighed. “Well, at least it’s all worked out in the end.”

They all looked around as Lucy’s pokégear _beeped_. “It’s time for your show, isn’t it?” Emilie said, stepping back from Lucy’s panicked leap to her feet.

“C’mon, let’s go watch it on the TV in Silver’s room,” she said, grabbing Saylee. “I bet you haven’t been watching it in Kanto, huh? You’ve missed some good episodes. Last week, the dragon queen got to the slave city and…”

{}

Saylee rubbed her eyes, trying to stay awake while she waited for the early-morning Magnet Train to arrive in Goldenrod. She’d decided to sit outside, hoping that the bright sunlight would keep her awake, but the morning chill had already faded and the warmth of the spring sun was just making her drowsier. The sun was warmer and brighter than it ever was in Kanto. She couldn’t wait for her mother to see it.

Besides her mother, Byron and Blue were also coming to Johto for six weeks. Her grandfather had secured two six-week visas; Byron, as the Canalave vice leader, didn’t need one. Saylee was excited, tired as she was. The week since Silver had ascended hadn’t included a lot of sleep.

“Saylee? Hi!”

“Bugsy?” Saylee said in surprise, opening her eyes and spotting the purple-haired bug-lover trotting up to her, clutching a brown backpack over his shoulders. “Hi! How are you? How’re your bugs?”

“Really active, they love spring,” Bugsy said happily. “They’re travelling back and forth from the National Park a lot… go check out the flower displays there, they’re looking fantastic!”

“I will,” Saylee promised. “So, what’re you doing here? I thought you said you didn’t like coming into Goldenrod…”

“I don’t, but I prefer going to the doctor here than the one in Azaela,” Bugsy admitted, making a face. “I’m organizing to start my hormone courses, since I turn sixteen in a couple of months… gotta attend my counselling session, too. They make you go to one monthly to make sure that you’re sure about getting the operation, and also to help you deal with any issues you’re having… mine’s pretty nice, and she’s trying to help me figure out how to talk to my parents, but it’s not going well with them.”

“I’m sure they’ll get it sooner or later,” Saylee said. “They’re looking for you, so I’m sure they care.”

“I know, they just…” Bugsy shook his head. “Never mind. So, what’re you doing here?”

“My boyfriend, my mother, and _her_ boyfriend are coming through from Kanto,” Saylee said, glancing up at the train line and unable to suppress a huge yawn.

“Are you okay? You look tired,” Bugsy said, peering at her.

“I haven’t slept much the past few days… been busy,” Saylee sighed, rubbing her eyes.

“So go sleep,” Bugsy said, checking his watch. “You look worn out. Anyway, I gotta go, I’m meeting some friends of mine from school. We’re gonna go see that new sci-fi movie, the one with the cowboys. See ya!”

“Have fun,” Saylee said, waving him off.

 _School friends, huh?_ She thought, fidgeting with Mario and Edgar’s pokéballs. _Lucy has a bunch of them, too… I had Blue, Red and Daisy, and Red and Daisy always seemed half-adults… I wonder what it’s like… having a lot of people… you can…_

She must have drifted off to sleep, because she was sharply awakened by the ringing of the bell that announced the Magnet Train’s arrival. She jumped to her feet and ran into the small, tiled lobby. It was still newly-built and didn’t have much in it except for the desk of the admissions clerk and a bank of screenphones that connected to a set in Saffron. A few people were sitting at them, clutching photos and talking to Kanto citizens. _Looking for lost relatives? I hope you like what you find…_

“Excuse me,” she said to the clerk. “I’m here to sign in Johanna Pryce and Blue Oak.”

While the clerk was checking her ID, Byron came out of the door behind the desk. The clerk quickly checked his ID, then waved him through before going to the back room.

“Hi, Saylee!” Byron said happily, giving Saylee a one-armed shoulder hug. “Good to see you’re okay. You two gave your mom a real start, you know.”

“I know… I owe her an apology,” Saylee sighed, half-hugging him back.  She grinned and stepped towards the door when it swung open and Blue came through.

“Hey, moron, why doesn’t it look like you’ve been sleeping?” he said, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He felt like he’d put a bit of weight back on, although his grip was still a little weak.

“Shut up, jerk, you haven’t either,” Saylee said, leaning up and giving him a kiss. They broke apart when they heard the door open again so Saylee could go hug her beaming mother.

“This place is beautiful, dear, I couldn’t stop staring out of the train window!” Johanna said happily, squeezing her daughter tight. “How’s Silver?”

“I think he’s past the worst of the fever,” Saylee said, “and with Suicune looking after him, he’s doing alright… oh, here,” she remembered, taking Mario and Edgar’s pokéballs out of her pocket and handing them to Blue. “Thanks. They were a huge help in getting up the tower safely.”

“Of course they were, they’re _my_ Pokémon,” Blue scoffed, pocketing the pokéballs with a grin. “C’mon, let’s give them the grand tour of Goldenrod. Be prepared, Auntie Jo—there’s more people in this city than in the whole of Kanto…”

{}

The next morning, Saylee woke up, rolled over to check her pokégear and groaned when the time said _6:32 am_.

“Pity’s sake…” she muttered, rolling over and rubbing her eyes. _It’s the sunlight. It has to be. It’s coming earlier and earlier this time of year…. We sat up after dinner for hours last night, I do_ not _need to wait up this early…_

Glancing out of her window and seeing a gorgeous day, however, it was hard for her not to go out in it. She grabbed one of the light, summery dresses that Helen had bought for her. Knowing that she didn’t have to go anywhere or fight anyone today, aside from daily training, she felt up to wearing it. It was knee-length and sleeveless, almost white at the top and shading down to dark blue at the knees. Saylee stepped out barefoot into the unaccustomed warmth of the spring sun, thinking of maybe walking around the gardens for a while and looking at the blooming flowers.

She found her mother already out there, sitting on the grass with her eyes closed and her face to the sun. She was looking healthier than the woman that Saylee remembered from most of her childhood, but her ribs and elbows still stuck out unsettlingly, and she was incredibly pale compared to the people of Johto. She opened her eyes and smiled at Saylee when she heard her daughter walking across the grass towards her.

“It’s beautiful here, dear,” she said, smiling at Saylee as she sat down next to her. “And your grandparents are wonderful people. I wish I could remember them… although I don’t know that I ever met them before.” She rolled her neck, making it crack. “This is so _luxurious_ … there was so much food on the table last night! “

“They mass-produce food in greenhouses here, so it’s all dirt-cheap and nutritionally balanced,” Saylee explained. “They can make stuff in energy-to-mass converters, too, I think. It makes it really easy to send bucketloads of food to Kanto, but what I guess we really need at home is full greenhouse facilities to grow our own stuff…”

“Oh, sweetheart,” her mother said, giving her a hug. “Sometimes I feel like you’re too young to be this responsible.”

“Don’t make it sound like I’m going to be running the country,” Saylee giggled. “I’m studying to get a ranger’s certification, though. I need to study all this field medicine and law…” she made a face. “It seems overly complicated a lot, but one difference between rangers and police officers is that rangers aren’t bound to anywhere near as much protocol as police officers are and are permitted to work outwith the law to catch criminals if necessary. Oh, I have to do a ton of ethical assessments too, for that reason, but according to Grandad, if I got the dragon master’s favour, I’ll probably do alright in those…”

“Of course you will, darling,” her mother said encouragingly. “You’ll do wonderfully. You and Red were always such clever children. I wish you’d been able to go to a real school like Lucy was telling me about…”

“Well, I can always study my catch-up exams and go to University on them, or so I’ve been told by Auntie Debbie,” Saylee said. “A lot.”

Her mother laughed. “It’s amazing… living here, you could really do whatever you want with your life, couldn’t you?”

“At the moment, I really just want Silver to get better and to find Red,” Saylee sighed. She checked her pokégear. “Lance sends me regular updates from the search parties, but so far results have been a consistent ‘Nothing found yet’.”

“I hope they find him soon,” her mother sighed, face falling as she wrapped her arms around herself, as if trying to hug a child who wasn’t there. “…I miss him.”

“So do I,” Saylee said, leaning her head on her mother’s shoulder. “I miss him a lot.”

{}

“This is dumb and boring,” Silver said, sitting on the cliffisde over the training field with Saylee and Blue, watching their Pokémon train together. It being late spring, lots of local kids were out in the fields having practice battles, many of them staring in awe at Blue, Saylee and Silver’s rare and powerful Pokémon—although Saylee’s newest team members weren’t too far on the “rare” end of the scale. What they lacked in rarity, though, they made up for in enthusiasm and power. Nathan was a know-it-all Noctowl from Viridian forest who had strong-armed (or strong-winged) his way into the team, determined to overcome his weaknesses by defeating an electric-type like Mary. He hadn’t beaten her yet, but he was improving rapidly through sheer stubbornness. Rei, the Rattata that Saylee had caught in Sprout Tower what seemed like years ago, had evolved into a Raticate and followed Nathan, largely to laugh at him whenever he lost to Mary or Mag again. After some teasing from Siren about being “just another grass rat”, she’d worked hard to become a capable fighter, with a powerful Crunch and Super Fang backed up by a surprise talent for ice and electric moves (which were largely used to bully Nathan).

“What, you thought you’d be flying away instantly on fiery wings of power?” Saylee said, rolling her eyes as Silver plucked blades of grass and turned them to ash one at a time. Even the strength to pull up a blade of grass was clearly causing him difficulty. “I _told_ you that the power was a lot for Ethan to handle and that he had to do time in hospital.”

“Yeah, and _I_ thought you beat up Ho-oh to _stop_ it happening to me,” Silver said accusingly.

“You’re able to get up and walk around on your own after less than six weeks, even if it wears you out,” Saylee pointed out, putting a hand on his forehead. The heat radiating from him meant that she couldn’t keep it there long, but at least it didn’t immediately burn her. “Your fever’s better, too. If you get any better, Granny’ll be able to make you go to school again…”

“School’s dumb,” Silver said, rolling his eyes. “I don’t need one to be a leader or an elite!”

“Hey, if you wanna be a leader, they’re still trying to pick an eighth one for Kanto,” Blue pointed out. Kanto was in the process of converting to the eight-leader system practised by countries like Hoenn and Sinnoh. The country was divided up into eight roughly equal jurisdictions, each presided over by a powerful trainer who served as judge in local crime trials, oversaw local facilities and services, protected local humans and Pokémon, and was responsible for teaching and assessing local trainers. They were also allowed to choose their own successor to the position, but if they didn’t choose one then a successor would be chosen by the elites, a council of four who presided over nationwide and international matters, and a champion, ideally the strongest trainer in the region who governed equally with the elites but acted as ultimate leader in international negotiations. Everyone involved was required to be a powerful trainer who could also pass regular ethical and political exams by an impartial body of examiners.

Prior to the civil war, Kanto’s government had featured no trainers nor anyone with much concern for Pokémon at all. This was widely believed to be one of the primary contributing factors to the civil war.

“Johto’s thinking of taking up the system too,” Lucy said, trotting over to lean against the Cliffside below them. “It’s currently ruled by a joint council of the leaders of the dragon clan and, uh… Granddad. It freaks me out whenever I remember that’s part of his job. Anyway, Johto’s apparently been resisting that system for decades, but nobody can really remember why now except for probably pride. So, what kind of people do you have in Kanto?”

“Mostly the people who’ve been running things already,” Blue said with a shrug. “Brock’s kind of an asshole, but apparently it’s just because he has trust issues, and he _is_ really good to the crapton of orphaned kids he’s picked up over the years. Misty’s alright, even if she can be a little hot-blooded, but whatever. Lt Surge is generally on the ball. He’s good at keeping stuff organized. So’s Erika, although she’s not that strong a trainer. Mr Fuji’s not really a trainer, as such, but tick him off and you’ll have a ton of angry ghosts and Marowak to deal with. There’s me, obviously, and Janine’s the head of Fuchsia anyway. She’s young, but she seems to know what she’s doing.”

“’She’s young’, he says,” Saylee laughed. “She’s _my_ age!”

“So couldn’t _you_ fill the eighth slot?” Lucy asked Saylee.

“Yeah, but I’d have to live in Saffron full-time… besides, that kind of responsibility freaks me out,” Saylee said. “I’m more concerned with getting my ranger qualifications. I’m nearly there, though. I’ve got my first field medicine exam in two weeks…”

“Is that why you’re always reading those gory books with all the stuff about blood and broken bones and stuff?” Silver asked. “If we did _that_ in school, I’d _go_.”

“I don’t have to study that to be a leader, I just need to learn a crapton about the economics and history and stuff of this area,” Lucy sighed. “It’s interesting, so I don’t mind. From what Byron’s said, being a leader is a lot of work, but—what the hell is that?”

A huge shadow passed over them. Saylee looked up as a giant orange Pokémon swooped towards them. Their Pokémon and the local trainers scattered as the Dragonite landed.

“Sar Kanto,” Clair said, leaping off of the Dragonite’s back with her cape flowing. “Lance asked me to fetch you personally. We’ve found something.”

“Red?” Saylee said, jumping to her feet so fast that she nearly slipped over the edge. She was saved by a quick catch from Blue.

“Not quite,” Clair said, looking disappointed at Saylee’s failure to be seriously injured, “but it may be a lead. We found a collapsed cave with a dead Charizard in it. It’s completely frozen, so we can’t say how long it’s been dead, but…”

“Red owned a Charizard!” Saylee gasped. “I’ll go… see if it’s…”

“I’ll come too,” Blue said, gripping her hand. “Two sets of eyes are better than one for a positive ID, right?”

“Right,” Saylee agreed. “We’d better say goodbye to everyone…”

“Make it quick, I’m supposed to escort you back to Blackthorn to get outfitted with proper mountaineering gear so you don’t die out there,” Clair called, climbing back onto her Dragonite’s back.

“Hey, if you’re just gonna hang around here, wanna battle?” Rei asked her. “You’ve got a Dragonite. I know Ice Beam. I think it could be fun.”

“Rei, despite type advantages, your power level compared to that of a Dragonite is—” Nathan began.

“Stuff it, feathers.”

“Hey,” Silver said, pulling himself to his feet with Zeb’s assistance. “I’m gonna tell Entei to go with you and make sure you don’t die, okay? ‘Cause you better not.” He glowered pointedly at his feet.

“I promise I won’t,” Saylee said, giving him a quick hug. “And I’ll bring Red back to meet you.”

“I kinda can’t wait to meet this guy after all you’ve talked about him,” Lucy commented, offering them a hand to help them skid down the cliff to the ground. “You make him sound like he’s all that and a bag of chips.”

“He is,” Saylee said firmly. _That’s why he’s alive. He_ has _to be._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will contain gore and strong language.


	71. Chapter 71

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 32 
> 
> Deaths: 13

The full-body mountaineering suits and air masks were heavy, but they were worth it. They were comfortably warm and completely sealed against the elements; the masks were liftable, and Saylee had moved hers for a moment when they stopped for a flight break on a snow-dusted rocky ledge. The cold had sliced into her like a knife. _If this is summer up here, I’d hate to see winter._ Still, even with the cold and snow, the unending vista of rock and snow was beautiful, in a strange, quiet, deadly way.

“How high up even _are_ we?” she heard Blue ask. All of their masks had short-wave comms installed, allowing them to communicate with each other without removing their masks. “We’ve been flying for hours…”

“Sixteen thousand feet,” Clair said, stroking the head of Daenerys, her Dragonite, assessing whether or not it was time to switch her with Damien, Lance’s Dragonite whom he’d loaned to Clair for the purposes of flying them safely up the mountains. “Once we get to twenty thousand, it’ll be too high and cold for dragons to handle. If you have fire or ice Pokémon, that’ll be the time for them. We’ll try to get onto Mt Silver before we reach that height, though.” Daenerys murmured something to her trainer and stood up. “Are you sure? Okay then. Climb on, you two. Don’t push it, okay, Dany? You don’t have to get high on Mt Silver, just get there without hurting yourself, got it?”

“How high _is_ the spot we’re going to?” Saylee asked, climbing onto Daenerys’ back between Blue and Clair.

“It’s actually only a little above twenty thousand feet, so we shouldn’t have to go too far on foot,” Clair said as Daenerys took off. “We can call down a squad to escort us up.”

Flying so high was a bizarre sensation. It was extremely quiet; slow flight at high altitude meant that there was as close to no air pressure as possible, so there was no wind noise, just an eerie silence. The mountains were so immensely vast that it felt as if they weren’t moving at all between them, as if they were suspended between the clear blue sky and the unforgiving rock and snow. The day was so bright that it looked like it should be warm, but Saylee already knew how cold it was, and below them the snow lay thick over the black rock of the mountains, hiding the vicious slopes and precipices. _How could Red have hoped to cross this? Flying on Chris, maybe, but how far did he get after…?_

She knew that plenty of ice and rock Pokémon lived in the mountains, as well as notoriously sturdy mountain Ursaring and lots of Larvitar and their psychopathic evolutions. There were probably Tyranitar roaming somewhere below. Herds of Rapidash and Ponyta lived on the lower slopes. But none of these Pokémon were to be seen as they swooped towards Mt Silver. The mountains looked utterly lifeless and unspeakably ancient, as if life was barely a blip that hadn’t yet registered on their radar and death was an absolute inevitability.

Mt Silver defied words. Even with the sky so clear, Saylee couldn’t incline her head back far enough to see the top. _Is there even a top at all?_

Daenerys breathed thin, faltering dragonfire over the snow below them, revealing a relatively flat rocky plateau for them to land on. She slumped heavily on the rock, panting for air.

“Thank you very much,” Saylee said as they climbed off of her back. “Sorry to wear you out so much.”

“Well done, Dany, I’m proud of you,” Clair said, stroking her Dragonite’s side before returning her. “So, what do you two have?”

“I’ve got Gary,” Blue said, releasing his Arcanine and climbing onto his back.

“Wooft, this is high up…” Gary muttered, peering dizzily down the mountainside.

“Y’know what, I think I’m going to go ahead and release Adam too,” Blue added, opening his Alakazam’s pokéball. The psychic shivered and floated into the air, forming a shimmering psychic shield around himself. “It’s too cold for Pete, but if we melt through an ice slab and fall, you’ll catch us, right?”

“Of course,” Adam said placidly.

“Good idea,” Saylee said, releasing Patrick and Tobias and climbing onto Patrick’s back. “Toby, are you okay?”

“A little cold, but I’ll be fine,” Tobias said, shivering slightly. “How far away are we?”

“Not far I’ve got a radio signal to the main party, and I’ve called a group down to meet us,” Clair said, climbing onto Patrick’s back behind Saylee. “Come on, then!”

“What’s t’magic word?” Patrick asked.

“Oh, good grief… _please_ go that way,” Clair said, pointing.

“She picked it up faster than Silver,” Tobias commented. He glanced down sharply. Saylee looked down and saw Entei standing on a ridge below them, watching them intently.

The mountain had no real paths and was extremely treacherous. Snow often broke away under the hot feet of Gary and Patrick. Adam and Tobias had to psychically catch them more than once. Patrick and Gary agreed not to put too much faith in their psychic safety net; Tobias and Adam were both having to exert quite a bit of power just to keep themselves warm and breathing, and levitating others visibly strained them.

After about three hours, they came across another group of climbers, all firmly roped together.

“Lady Clair!” one of them called through the comms. “We were just coming down to meet you. We’ll lead you directly to the site.”

“Very good,” Clair said with a nod. “Anything to report?”

“A couple of people were injured falling from a precipice, but it’s not serious and we should be able to transport them safely off of the mountain,” the man explained.

“What about the dead Charizard?” Blue demanded. “Have you found anything else around it, or anything?”

“Well, we’ve been digging it out,” the man said uneasily. “We found some smashed pokéball fragments, and, uh… a couple of frozen human fingers. It, well… according to Sir Lance, it looks like a human was trying to return the Charizard and didn’t quite make it before the cave collapsed…”

“Fuck,” Blue muttered, sounding sick. Saylee clenched and unclenched her own fingers repeatedly, almost _feeling_ the tear of bone and flesh in them.

 _It’s just fingers,_ she kept telling herself. _It’s just fingers… everything flash-freezes up here, so it could have been just a little while ago and he’s waiting nearby for us to find him… they could have found him already by the time we get up there…_

_I’m sorry it’s taken me so long, Red. Just please, please, please… be alive…_

{}

The cave was a sad sight. The huge, powerful Charizard was so reminiscent of Chaz; his crushed, broken form was difficult to look at. Saylee ran her gloved hand gently along his side. It felt so bizarre, the familiar roughness of a Charizard’s scales so icy cold.

She eventually found what she was looking for, a huge clump of scar tissue on the left side. “Chris got this when he was a Charmeleon, remember?” she said to Blue.

“Yeah… in that really bad explosion that killed his Weepinbell _and_ his Raticate,” Blue said quietly. “I remember Red telling us about it… he was really broken up about it.”

Saylee clenched her fist over the scar, then gave it a gentle pat before standing up. “Red—he didn’t have anything else that could fly. We need to look for routes he could have taken on foot…”

“The mountains change all the time, but we have people following some leads,” Lance said. Saylee glanced up at him in surprise; she hadn’t realized that she’d been standing next to the insane knight. Everyone was bundled in identical, heavy mountaineering clothing, so heavy that they weren’t even wearing their capes. Everyone was more or less indistinguishable. Saylee edged a couple of steps away from him, closer to Blue.

“I need to look at some of those routes too,” Saylee said. “Please… I have to find him.”

“Try that way,” Lance said, pointing down some deep trails ploughed through the snow and going down the slope to where a spike was holding up a length of sturdy cold-resistant nylon rope that led down a precipice. Saylee returned Patrick before she went to climb down it. Before she was quite out of range, she heard Lance mutter, “She does realize that it’s impossible for her brother to be alive?”

“Shut up,” Blue responded, returning Gary and following Saylee down. “C’mon, Adam.”

At the bottom of the rope was a gentle rocky slope that several dragon trainers were working on clearing of snow with dragonfire torches. Saylee and Blue released Patrick and Gary, climbing onto their backs and using their fire breath to help clear the snow.

“Hey, I found a cave!” one man started to yell. “Oh, _shit_ —”

With a series of angry _roars_ , a group of furious Ursaring burst out of the cave and attacked the fleeing man, slashing at anyone they could reach with their sharp, powerful claws. “FRESH MEAT!” one of them roared. “FINALLY!”

“Well, shit,” Blue muttered, reflexively reaching for his pokéballs. The Ursaring were able to run on top of the snow, their large paws splayed out wide to prevent them from falling through. “Fire Blast, Gary!”

“Aura Sphere, Toby!” Saylee called. Tobias began to spin solid orbs of pure energy that he flung at the attacking Ursaring with immense force. Ursaring after Ursaring was bowled over.

A pile of snow burst apart as several more Ursaring appeared right next to Saylee and Patrick. Patrick automatically shied back, staggering into the deep snow where he couldn’t see the rock beneath his feet. One of them grabbed the Rapidash, sinking its claws into his flank.

“Get off!” Patrick yelled, kicking frantically with his back legs. The Ursaring was knocked back, but didn’t let go of its grip on Patrick, pulling him back with it as it suddenly fell through the snow and over the edge of the precipice.

“SAYLEE!” she heard Blue scream as she began to fall.

{}

“…”

Saylee slowly opened her eyes. She couldn’t see through half of her visor; it took her a moment to realize that her glasses had shattered in the fall, and that the glass must have cut her somewhere, splatting blood inside of her mask. When she moved her head, she felt the useless, empty frames rattling around inside of the visor and a flash of pain from her right eyebrow.

She was lying on something soft and cold, but it felt as if frozen knives were stuck into random spots around her body. Her right arm wouldn’t move at all. She stiffly ran her left arm around her body and felt rips and tears in the thick clothes that she was wearing.

 _Where am I…?_ she wondered vaguely. _It’s so cold… how did I get here…?_

“ _Lie still, guardian._ ”

Something warm brushed over her, a gentle heat that wiped away the pain. Something hot and furry leaned against her, helping her pull herself to her feet; her right arm moved again, although it was sore and didn’t seem to have a full range of movement. She couldn’t lift it very high. The feeling of frozen knives stabbing her all over ebbed away, leaving her comfortably numb. Without her glasses, through her stained and dented visor, all she could see was a vague fuzz of brown and white.

“ _I am sorry, guardian, for your loss._ ”

“My…?” Saylee tried to take a step and realized, with slow horror, that what she was standing on wasn’t rock. She quickly hopped off of it and knelt next to the soft lump, running her hands through its cold, damp fur. _A Pokémon… it’s dead…?_

Another Pokémon was lying still next to it. It was so white that Saylee wouldn’t have been able to distinguish it from the snow were it not for the red gashes in its flesh. Saylee ran her hands over it, trying to figure out what it was, but she didn’t realize until she reached the hard, sharp horn on the Pokémon’s long head.

 _A dead Rapidash…? No!_ “Patrick!” she cried, horrible realization hitting her. “Patrick… NO!” she dug into her pocket for his pokéball.

Pieces of broken pokéball slipped through her fingers, shattered by the fall just like her glasses. The shock and fear was so sharp that she doubled over, gasping desperately for air.

“ _Calm down,_ ” Entei said.

“Calm _down_?!” Saylee said shrilly, running her hands desperately through the snow to scoop up all of the pieces. Feeling around in her pocket, she could only find four whole pokéballs, and all of them were cracked. _I don’t dare open them… so are the broken ones empty, for Patrick and Toby? Or did they contain… Mary? Valentino? Nathan? Rei? Who’s left? And who’s… gone?_

“…”

“Is someone else here?” she called, using Entei to pull herself to her feet, looking around wildly. Her visor was darkened to prevent snow blindness, but with the obscuring blood it meant that she really could barely see a thing. “Hello? Blue? Clair? …Lance?”

“…”

“Saylee!”

She felt the air move as something large settled down in front of her. Saylee stepped towards it, and spots of blue and red appeared in her vision, meaning that Tobias was in front of her. A dark grey figure slipped from his back and hugged her tightly. “Blue!” she gasped, almost collapsing against him. “Patrick and that Ursaring… I must have landed on them, that’s why I’m still… Entei healed me a bit, but…”

“ _My power is not completely effective on humans, but I believe that I dealt with the worst of the damage,_ ” Entei said.

“Thanks,” Blue said, wrapping an arm around Saylee’s shoulders to hold her up. “Shit… fucking mountain Ursaring…. If you’re so hungry, leave the damn mountains!”

“I will pray for Patrick’s soul,” Tobias said, settling gently over his fallen friend, “and for the Ursaring as well.”

“…”

“Did you hear that?” Saylee asked Blue.

“I… don’t know,” Blue said uneasily. “Like… a voice, calling?”

“Yeah, but…” Saylee said, stepping in the direction that she felt sure that the voice had come from. “…so quietly that I couldn’t hear what it was saying…”

There was a red flash, and something orange appeared, accompanied by a wave of heat. “Gary, can you smell anything that isn’t snow or rock?” Blue asked.

“…Yeah, actually,” Gary said, sniffing the air. “C’mon.”

Saylee shuffled her feet slightly to feel her way without tripping as she walked in the melted gap in the snow left behind Gary and Entei, supported by Blue on one side and a hand on the rock wall of the precipice that she had fallen down on the other. They were following the base of the wall as closely as they could, though it wasn’t as if it was a straight line; they climbed on hands and knees over rough rock and lumps of cold ice, made slippery by the heat of Entei and Gary passing by but too solidly frozen to melt completely.

At one point, Saylee looked up and could only see black. “Blue, I can’t see a bloody thing, what’s ahead of us?” she asked.

“Just this really, really spiky jut of rocks… really glad you didn’t fall on _that_ ,” Blue explained.

“…”

“There!” Saylee cried, staggering to her feet and pointing at the rocks. “I saw someone right there!” She pulled away from Blue and staggered past Entei and Gary, ploughing through the snow.

“I thought you just said you couldn’t see anything! Hey!” Blue yelled, running after her and grabbing her arm. “Hey, wait!”

“Can’t you see him?” Saylee asked. “What if it’s—Red! RED!”

Her foot caught on something under the snow between two boulders. Only Blue’s grip on her arm kept her from falling. At that moment, through her broken glasses and stained visor, she saw him as clear as anything, standing ankle-deep in the snow.

His hat was pulled low over his face, but it was the same red hat he always wore, the same red jacket, the same patched jeans. _Isn’t he cold_? Part of Saylee’s brain wondered. She couldn’t see his face, but his height, his clothes, his shape…

It was her brother. It was Red.

“Holy shit,” Blue said, his grip on Saylee’s shoulders tightening in surprise. “Red, pal? Is that you?”

“…” Red looked up slightly, but his face still wasn’t visible.

“RED!” Saylee cried, reaching out to him. The snow around her feet began to melt as Gary sniffed at it, licking something under the snow.

“What the fuck?!” Blue yelled sharply. Saylee looked down quickly.

At her feet was a leg in patched blue jeans. Gary had melted enough snow off of the body that the hem of a red jacket was visible.

When she looked up again, Red was gone.

“Fuck,” Blue muttered repeatedly, dropping to his knees and beginning to shovel snow away with his hands. “Fuck, fuck, _fuck_ … for a moment there, I really thought… I really fucking thought, just maybe…”

“He could be alive,” Saylee whispered, kneeling down and brushing away snow until a torn, frozen hand was visible.

“Lee!” Tobias called. “I felt a human soul pass, is everything alright? Are you and Blue… oh.” He settled next to Saylee, draping one wing over her. “Is this… him?”

“They were freakin’ out like they saw something before we even found the body,” Gary said nervously. “D’you think it was a ghost?”

“Maybe it was… Morty said that he could see ‘those still in this world’, but he never said that that didn’t include ghosts,” Tobias mused. “And if he vanished when we got here… maybe he was waiting to be found. He was waiting for you, Lee.”

It was too much. It hurt too much to even cry. Clutching her dead brother’s hand, Saylee bent over and screamed and screamed and screamed.

She screamed as they pulled her away from the body to dig it out. She screamed as Blue held her while the team packed up. She screamed until her throat was raw, and kept on screaming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’M REALLY REALLY SORRY THAT I’M A TERRIBLE PERSON
> 
> Okay. Explanations. I wrote so many versions of this chapter. One where Red was alive but, lost in the mountains for so long, was starting to go kinda crazy in a Blaine-style way, with two endings, one where he lived and needed rehabilitation and one where he fell off a cliff and died at the end. One where Red was dead and his ghost lashed out and attacked. A bunch of others… the problem was that three Pokemon died during the battle and I just couldn’t bring myself to make Saylee’s brother kill her Pokemon. Not Red. Red is her idol and always was, even though it feels wrong to rank family members like this, even more important to her than her mother. So sorry that there’s no battle. As for why Saylee couldn’t fall, break pokéballs and be found by hermit!Red… I tried writing it, but my brain always returned to this version. Red being alive and trapped physically didn’t work, since he didn’t go into the mountains with the necessary clothes or equipment and was there for nearly three years. And just… flow-wise, this was what seemed to work. This was the conclusion that I was drawn to. Anyone who read Silence in the Snow may have seen this coming. Forgive me.
> 
> One more chapter and an epilogue, and then Blood and Bond is finished, and with it the story that started way back at the beginning of After Armageddon. To those who’ve stuck with Saylee this long, thank you.


	72. Chapter 72

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 31 
> 
> Deaths: 15

Saylee didn’t remember the days between finding Red’s body and his funeral. They were just a faded blur of grief that, by and large, Blue told her about later.

The police took a few days to examine the body to ensure that there was no foul play, but in the end the conclusion was that he had fallen, as Saylee had, and had nothing to break his fall but rocks and nobody to rescue him before he froze or bled out. Most of his pokéballs were shattered; two were only cracked and were spending time at a tech centre, which hoped to retrieve the Pokémon inside.

Saylee’s pokéballs had gone, too, and had been returned before the funeral; they weren’t frozen, so they were easier for the techs to work with, and Valentino and Mary had been retrieved safely. Nathan and Rei had not been so lucky. They, like Patrick, were gone, and didn’t even leave bodies.

Tobias’ relief had been so palpable that flowers had actually bloomed around him as he hugged Mary when she was first returned. Valentino was distraught at the loss of Patrick, his best friend, and had been lying inconsolably at the bottom of the cold water in Pryce’s ice dojo. He had only surfaced for Patrick, Nathan and Rei’s triple funeral, which had been held as soon as it had been confirmed that the latter two were irretrievable. By the time Red’s remains had been released, Sir Arthur Pryce had managed to quietly extend Blue and Johanna’s visas and acquire two for Daisy Oak and Professor Oak so that they could attend Red’s funeral in Mahogany.

Blue had suggested taking Red back to Kanto so that everyone in Pallet and Viridian who knew him could attend, but Saylee couldn’t bring herself to agree. Red had been trying so hard to _leave_ Kanto; she couldn’t bear to take him back. _Let him be in Johto. Let his body burn_ here _, under clear blue skies. Just don’t let him be cold any longer…_

She couldn’t remember if her mother had voiced an opinion, one way or another. She couldn’t remember her mother saying a word.

She barely remembered the funeral. At one point, she and her mother had been holding each other and crying so hard that it felt as if it would never stop. She’d spent time crying in the arms of Lucy, of Daisy, of the Professor, of her grandparents, of Blue. She didn’t even remember if they’d been able to do an eye test before making her replacement glasses, but they had turned up at some point. She’d watched Red’s body burn without really seeing a thing.

“Ceez, have you been out here all night?”

Saylee vaguely registered Tyra walking up to her. She could just about make out the Feraligatr’s scowl in the breaking light of dawn. _Sunrise? They lit the pyre at about dusk, didn’t they?_ She looked up blearily at the empty seats around the pyre, wondering how she hadn’t noticed the passage of time. The fire had burned to embers. She was leaning with her head on Blue’s shoulder and his arm around her, although Blue himself was asleep where he sat. Saylee felt tired, and her eyes and throat were hot and sore from crying. _Have I slept at all? When did I last eat…?_

“Y’know, you kinda hurt Silver’s feelings with what you said yesterday?” Tyra said irritably.

“What did I say?” Saylee mumbled, sluggishly trying to pick through the blur of despondency and grief. She couldn’t remember even _seeing_ Silver.

“I know it probably came off rude, it’s _Silver_ , but he was just trying to console you in his way and tell you you did all you could,” Tyra snapped. “ _You_ said that if you hadn’t ‘wasted time’ with Team Rocket, maybe you’d have found him in time…”

“Oh,” Saylee said, rubbing her eyes as understanding slowly filtered in. “I… didn’t mean it like that. I am glad that I know him, I really am.”

“Tell _him_ , not me,” Tyra growled, stomping off.

“Nervous little brat, isn’t he?” Blue yawned. “Sorry… guess I dozed off. The past few days have been hard work. How’re you feeling?”

“Doubly guilty, absolutely crap,” Saylee mumbled. Blue hugged her tightly.

“I know I say this a lot, but it bears repeating: _this is not all on you_ ,” Blue said. His voice was hoarse and torn, though Saylee couldn’t remember seeing him cry. “It was Red’s dumb decision to try and _walk_ over the damn mountains, and if he went into danger counting on his little sister to save him, then he’s an asshole as well as dumb. Can’t believe I used to look up to the guy…”

“Don’t,” Saylee said quietly. “He wasn’t… he was just trying to…”

“…do something seriously fucking dumb that was pretty much guaranteed to get him killed,” Blue snapped. “I don’t care if he was angry or scared or if he actually somehow thought he’d make it to Johto… He had a serious fucking responsibility. Not just to you and Auntie Jo, but to all of us! I mean, what if Grandpa didn’t have any more Pokémon, huh? Red didn’t send fighting Pokémon back like we do! We’d have been back to what we were before, wandering labourers and sellers—”

“I know, Blue,” Saylee said sharply, pushing him away and standing up. “I just… don’t want to hear it right now, okay?”

She heard Blue grumbling to himself as she stormed off in search of Silver. _Red’s_ dead _, he doesn’t need to be so… such a_ jerk _!_

Once in the house, she paused in front of the door to the dining room momentarily at the sound of soft voices inside. Peering through the partially open door, she saw Professor Oak talking quietly to her mother while Daisy made tea. Her mother had her arms wrapped around herself, and it wasn’t clear if she could hear the Professor talking, instead staring blankly ahead of her through red-rimmed eyes. Saylee wanted to reach out to her, but she had no idea what to say. In the end, she moved on without interrupting. _The Professor’ll probably be able to help better than I can,_ Saylee recalled. _After all… he lost his son too, didn’t he, years ago…_

She found Lucy and Silver by the sounds of shouting. They were in the entertainment room, with Silver wrapped up in Suicune’s mane while they played a video game. In deference to the fact that game controllers still tended to melt in his hands, it was a voice-activated puzzle game.

“Pause,” Lucy called. “Hey, cuz. How’re you holding up?”

“My brother’s dead, my father’s an absent criminal psychopath—”

“Better than a _present_ criminal psychopath,” Lucy pointed out.

“—and I just had another fight with my boyfriend,” Saylee continued. Her throat hurt like hell when she spoke. “My mum’s too inconsolable with grief to even talk to, and I’ve accidently upset my _living_ brother.” She sat down next to Silver, who was pointedly glowering away from her.

“ _Half-_ brother,” he muttered. Suicune stirred from her nap, looked from Saylee to Silver with a bored expression, and then went back to sleep.

“I’m sorry,” Saylee sighed. “Stopping Team Rocket, coming here and meeting you... when I called it a ‘waste of time’, I wasn’t thinking straight. I _am_ glad that I know you, Silver, even if you can be a right little pain sometimes.” Silver made a face at her, but at least he was looking at her again. “You’re my brother too. I don’t wish it _hadn’t_ happened… I just really, really wish… I’d been able… to save Red…” she curled up with her head in her knees as she started crying again. _It shouldn’t have been my duty. That doesn’t change the fact that I_ failed!

“Don’t start _crying_ again!” Silver yelped. “Lucy, you do the hug or the pat or whatever it is that’ll make her _stop_. I’ll just burn her if I touch her.”

“Thanks,” Saylee sniffed as Lucy gave her a hug. “I appreciate the thought, Silver. And I _am_ sorry if I upset you. I knew, when I was in the Game Corner in Celadon, that it might be a wild goose chase. That I might be delayed. But I still decided to do it. If that’s… no, that _is_ the decision that I made, and I need to go through with it with no regrets.” She shrugged, unable to smile.

“Yeah, great, just stop crying, okay?” Silver said uneasily. “Jo’s bad enough. What?” he said defensively when Saylee looked surprised at him. “Your mum told me to call her Jo. Shut up. Can we play the game now?”

Saylee was still grieving, and she would be sad for a long time, but she still giggled, almost.

{}

Saylee drifted awake as somebody knocked on her door. Tobias and Mary were asleep next to her, curled together on the large bed in her room. One of Tobias’ broad white wings was draped over her and Mary both. Saylee slipped carefully out without waking them and grabbed her glasses. The knocking on the door stopped, causing her to nearly trip over her feet as she ran over to open it.

She stepped into the hall to see Blue starting back down the hallway. “Blue!” she whispered loudly, unsure of the time and wary that the other people in the house might still be asleep. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Oh, you’re awake,” Blue said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. “These just got delivered…” He held out two white pokéballs. “They said only these two were retrievable. The rest are completely lost… they said it was an Espeon and a Pikachu.”

“Eric and Perun…” Saylee said, taking the pokéballs and clutching them to her tightly. “I’ll have to tell Chaz that Ben is gone…” She looked up. “Does Sam…?”

“I told her,” Blue sighed, rubbing his eyes, which were swollen and red. “She’s upset, but… it’s the same amount of upset as she is about his Blastoise, Sergei, being dead, you know? She hasn’t seen Ben in years, and she knew Chaz better than Ben in the first place, so… she’s dealing.” He frowned. “How about you? Look, I’m sorry about snapping at you yesterday… I’m not good at ‘sad’, I just get pissed off instead, and I took it out on you. Daisy gave me an earful for it already… I’m sorry.”

“We’re all a little messed up right now,” Saylee said, leaning up on her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek as she walked past him. “C’mon… let’s go out into the garden and let these guys out again.”

{}

When they first opened the white pokéballs that had been sent in the transfer, Eric and Perun were curled up as if asleep. They yawned hugely as they stretched out, peering blearily around at the Pryce manor gardens. Eric’s bisected tail hummed as he took in their surroundings.

“Eric,” Saylee said, sitting down on the grass in front of them. A check of her pokégear had revealed that it was only five in the morning, but the sun was high in the sky and the grass was warm. “Perun. It’s me, Saylee. Do you remember me?”

“Red’s kid sister?” Perun asked, rubbing his eyes and staring at her. “Hey! You grew up!”

“I should hope so, it’s been three years since the last time I saw any of you,” Saylee said. She tried to smile, but she couldn’t seem to remember how. “How do you feel?”

“What happened?” Eric wanted to know, looking around. “Where are Red and the others?”

“…What’s the last thing you guys remember?” Blue asked.

“Blue? Hey, you grew up too!” Perun said in surprise. “Uh… he said there was another country over the mountains. While he was looking through all of those old lab things… Red, I mean. Urgh, my memory’s all jumbled. But he said the country over the mountains might be in better shape than Kanto, and maybe we could find someone to help us there…”

“Red said he was going to return us and then release us again on the other side,” Eric said, looking up at the clear blue sky. “Is this it? This is beautiful.”

“This is Johto,” Saylee said, scratching Perun’s ears.

“Great!” he said, grinning and flicking his ears happily. “So where are Red and the others? Looking around? Can’t blame ‘em, this place smells great…”

“Perun,” Eric said quietly. He was staring piercingly at Saylee. Saylee opened and shut her mouth a few times, but the words stuck in her throat. Suddenly, she couldn’t even breathe.

“Red’s gone,” Blue said bluntly after a few moments of silence. “He fell in the mountains and didn’t get back up again. You two were the only ones we managed to retrieve. The rest are… gone.”

“What?!” Perun yelled, jumping up and raising his tail and ears angrily. “No. No way! We just… we WON! Sergei Blizzarded the shit outta those dragons! We WON, we made it out okay... you can’t tell me they’re all _gone_ , just like that, you… they…” He slumped, drooping all over as he began to cry. Saylee hugged him and he buried his face in her shoulder, making her hair spike up.

“I’m sorry,” Saylee said, crying again herself. “You’re the only ones left. I’m sorry, but… I-I’m glad that you’re alive, at least…”

Blue stroked Eric’s ears as the Espeon bowed his head to the ground sorrowfully, mourning the loss of the friendship that had brought him power.

{}

“So, you finally surfaced, huh?”

Valentino leaned over the edge of the iceberg, staring vaguely at his reflection in the water, not looking up at whoever had spoken. “I was really excited about evolving,” he sighed. “ _Really_ excited. But what use is it if I’m not powerful enough to protect anybody? Zarina, Nicki and Calvin all died right in front of me, and now Pat… he was my best pal, and…”

“…from what I’m hearin’, you were in your pokéball, so what in the hell were you s’posed to do?” The iceberg dipped slightly in the water as someone else stepped onto it. “Why’d you wanna be a Vaporeon so much, anyways? You did wanna be one?”

“Well… I’ve got a lot of siblings,” Valentino said, pawing vaguely at the cold water. “My parents like raising young pups together. And pretty much all of them want to be a Flareon, like my mother, or a Jolteon, like my father. I just… wanted to be different. But what if I was hasty? If I’d evolved into Umbreon, or Espeon…”

“What if ain’t much good now, darlin’.” Valentino glanced aside at the pale blue Pokémon who settled down next to him. She was Emilie, the Glaceon who fought with Saylee’s cousin. “You’re good an’ evolved now, ain’t nothin’ gonna change you back. You are _so_ like your trainer it’s unreal. All regret and blamin’ yourself…”

“Yeah, maybe, but… I dunno, I guess it was just Pat’s death that’s done it,” Valentino sighed. “I was closer to that guy than most of my siblings. That he’s just _gone_ , just like that… I don’t even know what I’m trying to say, I just feel messed up.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re out’ve the water anyway, darlin’,” Emilie said, flicking her ears. “Your trainer’s been worried ‘bout you, y’know. She just ain’t been able to reach you, right down at the bottom of the cold water there. I kinda think she’s ‘fraid to come in here, really. Can’t blame her… real sad, the way they all died in that snow…”

“Yeah… How’s Lee doing?” Valentino said, getting up and trotting off across the surface of the water.

“Now _that’s_ a neat trick, darlin’,” Emilie said, padding along the icebergs next to him, walking along the slick ice as easily as firm ground. “She’s out there with an Espeon an’ a Pikachu I ain’t seen before. They’re all real sad. Everyone’s real sad right now, seems like…”

“An Espeon, huh?” Valentino said, walking out of the dojo and trotting towards the garden. He spotted Saylee sitting on the grass, hugging an Espeon and a Pikachu and crying. Blue had his arm around her shoulder, looking downcast. “She said her brother had one. Guess that’s him. Are they all they could get?”

“Others were smashed all to hell, darlin’,” Emilie said sadly. “Scary thing, ain’t it? Pokéballs don’t feel like nothin’. Like a little zap, an’ you’re teleported someplace else, feelin’ chipper an’ refreshed. You don’t think nothin’ can happen to ‘em, that one day that li’l flash, same as ever, that’ll be the last thing you see…”

“I suppose there’s worse way to go,” Valentino said quietly. “You’d never know it happened. Just vanishing, peacefully…” He looked down. “I just keep thinking… I hope it was instant, for Pat. That he didn’t lie there, hurting and cold… I mean, he was a _Rapidash_. He never felt _cold_ in his life. It must’ve been the scariest thing…”

“It’s over now, darlin’,” Emilie said, licking his cheek. “He ain’t hurtin’ no more.”

“Thanks,” Valentino said, licking her back. “Never seen you so _nice_ , Emilie. You’re a real stone-cold badass in training.”

“I’m an _ice_ -cold badass, darlin’,” Emilie said, strutting off, “and I’m that way ‘bout _everythin’_ I do. Includin’ cheerin’ people up. Let’s go see ‘bout that Espeon, shall we?”


	73. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokémon: 31 
> 
> Deaths: 15

“So, are you guys gonna stay or go?” Valentino asked.

“Go?” Mag asked in confusion. “Go where?”

Blue, Saylee, Silver and Lucy’s Pokemon had spent the morning training in their usual field. They were glad to be back to something of a normal regimen, even with the gaping absence of Nathan, Rei and Patrick and the incongruous presence of the dour and overpowered Eric and Perun. After some time, however, Blue and Saylee had disappeared—Lucy said that they had gone to make up, but wouldn’t say anything more—and then Lucy had gone to run an errand, leaving Silver to preside over the training. Silver promptly fell asleep, leaving the Pokémon’s motivation low.

“I don’t know if anybody’s going anywhere, but I’m going where Silver goes,” Tyra declared. “For now, I think he’s planning to go back to Kanto with Saylee. I’m glad they made up. Silver was abnormally pissy even for him when he was mad at her.”

“She’s goin’ back to Kanto?” Emilie said in surprise. “Thought she’d be goin’ to Sinnoh with her mom?”

“Jo’s going to Sinnoh?” Zeb asked. “Why?”

“Dude, you’ve _seen_ Kanto,” Siren said. “Why the hell not?”

“Her extended visa’s about to run out,” Tobias explained. “Byron asked her to go back to Sinnoh with him and marry him instead of returning to Kanto. Lee’s said she’ll go with them to see the wedding, but then she wants to stay in Kanto.”

“ _Why_?” Seraphine wanted to know. The Dewgong splashed her tail elegantly in the water. “I have not heard a single good thing about this Kanto place.”

“Perhaps a knight is unwilling to leave her mate?” Alec suggested.

“I think that’s a wee bit ay it, now her an’ Blue are taegither,” Mary said, “but mair’n that, she says she’s wantin’ tae help rebuild Kanto.”

“It’s a hellhole,” Siren pointed out.

“That’s exactly why it needs saving.”

Everyone looked up at Saylee and Blue as they walked out of the trees and sat down on the edge of the ridge overlooking the field, seeming reenergized. Saylee had a spark in her eyes. Blue sat down next to her, looking grimly determined. “Kanto is a mess, but Red died believing that it could be saved and trying to do just that,” Saylee said. “All of the people in Kanto have kept living for eighteen years in the hope that things can get better. I don’t want that hope to have been for nothing. Too many people have already died in despair.”

“And we all know that running away doesn’t do shit for anyone,” Blue added.

“So what’ll you do?” Tyra asked.

“I’m going to come back to Johto first and get my rangers’ license,” Saylee said, combing her hands through her short hair and brushing some leaves out of it. “It’ll take a lot of studying—I’ve missed some of the classes I’m supposed to attend, law theory and field medicine and stuff—but once I get it, I can arrange for a branch of rangers to start working in Kanto. Protecting people and Pokémon, bringing about something resembling law and order, all that good stuff.”

“What’s actually the difference between rangers and the police?” Valentino asked.

“Rangers have more agency,” Saylee explained. “There’s no ‘by the book’ with rangers, which can be a strength in difficult cases but also means they need a lot of monitoring. They’re trusted to hold to their own judgement, which means their judgement has to be completely trustworthy. Among other things, like being more highly combat-trained and travelling rather than working a single specific beat.”

“Sounds appropriate for Kanto,” Tobias commented. Saylee nodded.

“They can requisition things directly from the government, as well, so if they’re travelling around Kanto they can see precisely what each area of the country needs most first-hand and then requisition until the Magnet Train breaks down. It’ll be a start, at least.” She smiled down at Silver, who was still asleep. “And I’ll look after Silver, wherever he needs to be. Despite his parents, he cared about you guys, so I believe the geisha when they say he’s destined to be a strong leader. All of that aside… he’s my little brother, and I believe in him.”

“You’re very hopeful, all of a sudden,” Emilie said. “You’ve been real down the last while, not that I blame you…”

“Well… I guess I feel like I hit bottom on despair,” Saylee sighed, tipping her head back to stare at the sky. “But when you hit bottom, the only way is up, right? I’m in the mood to be hopeful. I have to think of the good. I did find my brother; hell, I found _both_ of them. Mum’s happier with Byron than I’ve ever seen her, even grieving for Red. I’m glad for her. And Blue and I… there are things I can’t fully forgive him for. But, well… that makes two of us.” She leaned against Blue with a faint smile. He put his arm around her.” I love him and, honestly, my life feels so much more grounded with him in it.” She smiled, blushing a little.

“That’s me,” Blue declared. “So down to earth I can use Dig. Besides, I’m going to be the Viridian Leader. I’ve been protecting that area for ages _anyway_ , might as well get paid to do it. It’ll give you a home base while you’re running around fighting people, as you do.”

“I’ll be patrolling Kanto with whoever wants to come,” Saylee said.

“We do,” Eric said.

The Espeon and Pikachu had been huddled silently for a while, but they hopped up onto the ridge next to Saylee. “We couldn’t do a damn thing for Red, and that itches,” Perun said. “We can at least look after his kid sister.”

“We want to help you honour his wishes,” Eric added. “Let us fight with you, Saylee.”

“Tobes an’ I’ll be wi’ you an aw,” Mary agreed. “Maw’s a lang time aff retirement. A bit ay travellin’ an’ adventurin’ll be good craic afore becomin’ a lighthouse keeper!”

“Of course we’ll come with you, Saylee,” Tobias said gently.

“As for me… I think I’ll stay here,” Valentino confessed. “I like your gramps’ dojo a lot, and, uh…”

“Aw, darlin’, I’m happy to have you underpaw, you know that,” Emilie said, licking his cheek. Valentino smiled for the first time since Patrick’s death.

“So get this!” Lucy called, running up to them. “The immigration board’s put its foot down—you and your sister have to get gone in the next three days, Blue—but a lot of scientists have been pressuring them to keep your granddad around. Apparently he authored some very influential research back in the day and him still being alive is like Arceus himself walking the earth or something.”

“Well, that explains a lot,” Blue grumbled. “I hope he’ll pressure them to let Daisy stay with him. She’s wasted on Kanto. Also, Gramps may be a genius, but he can’t cook worth a damn, and he’ll starve to death without her.”

“She’s too good for Kanto, and her brother is…?” Lucy teased.

“A jerk,” Saylee said offhand, nudging her boyfriend. “Who evidently hasn’t managed to get his Pokémon back from his sister’s clutches…”

“She’s having fun pampering them,” Blue said with a shrug. “She’ll probably come after yours soon. Be warned.”

Saylee looked around at her Pokémon, then shook her head and looked down at Silver, who was yawning and rubbing his eyes. For a few unguarded moments as he was waking, he looked the most like a little boy, even with burning red-gold eyes. “How’re you feeling?”

“Fine,” Silver said automatically. “What do you want?”

“Just checking on you,” Saylee said with a little smile. “Right now… I don’t really know what I want.” She sighed. “For the longest time I’ve just wanted to find my brother… and I have, after a fashion,” she said, grinning at Silver when he rolled his eyes at her. “So I guess right now, I want the one I’ve still got to be okay. Plus, if I can figure out how to help and look after you, I’ll be better at helping other avatars in the future. I got Ethan out alive, but I feel like there should have been more I could do for him.”

“I’m sure he’ll learn a lot at the Sprout Tower,” Tobias said encouragingly. “I’m sure the priests will be able to help him control Lugia’s temper.”

“So you’re defo up fae that?” Mary asked. “Yous were pretty pissed about they geisha tellin’ you you had to.”

“I just… didn’t like the feeling that my choices weren’t my own,” Saylee said softly. “A lot of Pokémon have died fighting for me. I don’t know… maybe it would be easier if I could just give up responsibility for that, but… To me, it’s worse to think that things are entirely out of my control, that I can’t make any sort of difference at all. I mean, it’s not all bad. We stopped Team Rocket. _Twice_. And we got to meet you guys… so long as something positive came out of it, it wasn’t for nothing. That’s what I’ve decided to keep in mind…”

“So long as you’re not just gonna curl up and cry like you did before, great,” Silver said. “…so does that mean you’re protecting me because you _want_ to, or because you _have_ to?”

“I have to, because we’re related,” Saylee said. “We’re of the same blood. But I _want_ to, as well, because of our bond. I’ll look after you for however long it takes for you not to be afraid anymore, Silver.”

“I’m not scared of anything!” Silver said quickly. “…But thanks.”

“You’re gonna have to explain what ‘avatars’ are, though,” Perun said, peering at Silver.

“And why that boy’s soul feels strange,” Eric added.

“Sure,” Saylee agreed. “We’re not just working together as rangers for Kanto’s sake. Helping avatars is something that will protect the world, too.”

_I thought I was going to die on Mt Silver, cold and in pain and so, so alone. Those feelings… Red must have felt them when he died. Even if I couldn’t save him… I want to make up for it by making sure that nobody else has to die like that ever again…_

“So… avatars,” she said at length, looking at Perun and Eric. “Where to begin…”

“It’s pretty easy if you’re not stupid,” Silver said. “D’you guys know what Ho-oh is?”

 _I still have people and Pokémon that I love,_ Saylee thought, looking over her cousin, her boyfriend, her brother, her Pokémon. _As long as I still have those that I love and that love me, there’s something good in my life that’s worth moving forwards for._

_I will believe that, or else what’s the point?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, my SS Nuzlocke and its incredibly ability to spawn plot is over. The plot itself, however, has only just begun. There are a lot more gods out there, and Lugia’s not the only one liable to cause havoc…
> 
> Coming soon: Calamity Calls, an Emerald nuzlocke played jointly with my best friend and muse, Key-chan!
> 
> Thank you very much to absolutely everyone who has read and reviewed. There are too many of you to list, but know that I love you all very much and you are the reason I keep writing :)
> 
> Also, for those who are interested: the vital stats for the very last Pokemon that I acquired in my Pokemon SoulSilver nuzlocke.
> 
> Name: Charlotte. Species: Charmander. Nature: Modest. Ability: Blaze. Location: Pallet Town. Level: 5.
> 
> Thank you all. It’s been so much fun. And it continues :)

**Author's Note:**

> Name: Chip. Species: Cyndaquil. Nature: Timid. Ability: Blaze. Level: 5


End file.
